I used to say that I would steer clear of any business that was open on a holiday. I did not want to be responsible for ruining someone’s Christmas, Easter or even Fat Tuesday plans.

Then came “Independence Day,” and I, like millions across the nation, bypassed the Fourth of July’s scorching temperatures with the cool comfort of the silver screen.

This Valentine’s Day, movie theaters are at it again. When the greatly anticipated “50 Shades of Gray” hits theaters, it will likely start another blockbuster tradition. Forget flowers and candy. Women will be looking for tickets to the latest romantic film.

But, is “50 Shades” really a romance? You betcha.

The books may have been dubbed pornographic by some, but pornography without the romance would not have drawn the following this series had. The “50 Shades” trilogy was a success because its racy scenes were clad in all the trappings of a romance novel. The R-rated adaptation promises to be much of the same.

Still, there is a part of me that finds it a sad state of affairs (pun intended) that many will spend this Valentine’s Day in much the same way as they have come to spend the Fourth of July.