January can’t help but feel a bit schizophrenic.
There are those who look upon January as a brave white knight,
riding into town to save the day.
Others—not saying who—look upon January as a bad night on
the town, capped off by a stepped in pile of horse poop, left behind by the
mounted policeman who recently reminded you that pants are a required wardrobe accessory while strolling down Main Street, even
if it is after midnight.
So January doesn’t really know what to think.
Adulation here….
Disdain there….
60 degrees here….
6 degrees there….
Yeah.
So what’s a month to do…especially the first month of every
year?
I had heard rumors that January was lobbying hard with April
to swap places, just on a trial basis—or at least that’s what January wanted
April to think.
Everyone loves April, but it can be a little schizophrenic
in its own right…sometimes even more extreme than January.
80 degrees here….
28 degrees there….
Beach Day today….
Snow shoveling tomorrow….
Yet no one ever criticizes April; no…not April. April comes
along with spring and everyone loves spring.
So people look the other way and let April slide, blaming all the
inconsistencies on the quirky weather when things gets a little whacky.
Like January has control over its weather?
Do you think January likes being cold and bleak?
And January hears all the whispers…notices the abruptly
halted conversations whenever it walks into the coffee room.
“Ugh…January
can’t end soon enough if you ask me.”
“I
know…January starts off with a hangover and ends with nothing but icy sidewalks
and dead car batteries.”
“I spent a week in Cabo last January, and their January is so much nicer
than our January.”
“Our January sucks!”
Try living with that year after year.
Yeah….
But April’s no fool…so to speak. Why would April ever consider swapping places
with January?
“Come
on…it’s great. You come in with a bang…everybody’s celebrating…they can’t wait
to start the new year!”
“New
Year, sure…for a couple of days. But no
one’s all that thrilled with January after that. After that, people start dreaming of me,
April. Why would I ever give that up?”
“I’ll
throw in some cash …and mittens. Mittens…I’ll throw in some mittens.”
“Thanks,
but no thanks. I’m fine where I
am. I’ve always been more of a spring
than winter kind of month.”
And so it goes with January.
Even February—January’s brother in “wary months”—has it better, without even counting all the Valentines.
“Only
28 days to get through in February…then we March into spring!”
So keep this in mind when you start coming down so hard on
January.
It’s just a month like any other month…icy cold wind, frozen
sidewalks, roads and tootsies aside.
If you pick it, does it not bleed, if you tickle it does it
not laugh….?
Well of course not…it’s just a month…how silly is that?
Just bundle up, sit by the fire and enjoy your hot toddy…unless
that sort of thing is still illegal where you live….
Its January…be nice and enjoy it.
It’s not January’s fault.
Crap…it’s snowing again….
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i've always loved january... it's the quiet after the chaos, and the snow has a way of slowing us all down in such a wonderful way.... wish it woudl have snowed all day today!!
ReplyDeleteVery poetic Nicole, I liked your line "it's the quiet after the chaos, and the snow has a way of slowing us all down in such a wonderful way". Well! you surely a very positive person and obviously good with a shovel. ;-)
Deletethank you, mr letts... i am on shoveling hiatus for a few weeks but my oldest was nice enough to clear the driveway.. well, a little guilt trip goes a long way.
DeleteWhat'd you do...fall off your stationary bike chasing Mr. Grohl???
Deletethat's VERY observant of you, brian!
DeleteGood article Brian it reminded me of that song from Paul Simon April Come She will:- April, come she will. When streams are ripe and swelled with rain. Don't tell January.
ReplyDeleteBTW, your FB comment/Rhyme the other day inspired me to write this...so it's all your fault--
Delete"January days like acid dissolve, bringing one down in spite of resolve. Promises floated high among merry turned sour in a soup of sad holly berry. That's winter for you, avoidance and endurance and roll on spring."
http://lyriclines-lettsy.blogspot.co.uk/
Consider it a circular reference then as I get a bunch of prompts from your stuff anyway. Here we are on opposite tides enjoying a paddle in each others waves. :-)
DeleteThanks, boys and girls!
ReplyDeleteNicole, is very optimistic, Not the most optimistic person I know as they tend to come out of the woodwork to try and challenge me--I must be on the cover of their newsletter--but certainly right up there. Optimists....so annoying....
i know i crossed your path for a REASON!
DeleteI liked "the quiet after the chaos" too. Quite apt, Nicole (the (Opimist Cover Girl)
ReplyDeleteoh thank you, joan!
DeleteGreat interaction going on here "Comments Count" and "Ideas Matter"
ReplyDeleteindeed. and agreed.
Delete