Valentine's Day? I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon

I have always been a Valentine's Day sceptic.

When you say you don't celebrate it people always give you a knowing smirk and suggest that its perhaps because I don't have 'someone special'.

Now, I may not have a boyfriend but I am in possession of a couple brain cells and I honestly do not say this from the 'rebelling against it because I know I'll die alone' position.

In fact I can't help thinking that if I did have a boyfriend I may break up with him just for these 24 hours so I didn't have to buy into all the usual saccharine crap forced down our throats every year.

I hate romance, I hate sentiment, I don't like poetry or chick flicks and I have never sat and dreamed about my wedding day.

The whole thing makes me feel quite nauseous actually.

But yet somehow I am still oddly a romantic; I saw a boy today buying flowers for his girlfriend and I'll admit for a moment my heart melted. He was adorable.

Then it froze again and I was back to cynicism.

I don't believe that you should tell someone you love them just because its Valentine's Day. Why not give your girlfriend a present because its April 23rd and you think they're pretty. Why not take them out to dinner because its a nice evening?

Now maybe this is me being a diva and is biased by my expectation of being treated like a princess on more than just my birthday or Valentine's (this may also be too do with why I currently don't have a boyfriend).

If you buy someone a generic teddy bear or bouquet of roses on special offer how are you showing you care? Why not get her something she actually likes?

For me that's pizza, a movie where there are lots of explosions and witty banter in and writing my dissertation for me.

But that's just me.