I love September. It’s the first month of the university year. There’s lots of things to do on campus. I love the bustling atmosphere of all the students returning.
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October is Halloween and pumpkins and while some of the days are dark and grey I find the brightness of the yellow and orange leaves helps.
Here’s Michael Enright in praise of October.
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December is all seasonal celebrations, concerts, family, holidays, gifts and joy. It feels very cozy and I love the music.
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While January is cold and snowy here there’s often a lot of bright sun beaming off the bright white snow. Also the days are getting noticeably longer. Usually I head south in January and get some winter bicycling in.
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February and March can seem long I know but again there’s sun and I’ve got spring in my sights.
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But November? The leaves are gone. It’s not yet snowy, mostly grey and cold and rainy. It’s dark when I go to work and dark when I come home. There aren’t even any good holidays in November. I’m Canadian, remember. We did Thanksgiving in October.
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November is objectively the darkest and worst month of the year. I need a way to redeem November. I should be able to find something good about November. But what?
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Your suggestions and ideas about redeeming November are welcome. And while I appreciate that some people can lean into the misery and kind of revel in the worst month of the year gloom, that’s not me. I need ways of making it through November, and for this year, I need ways that don’t involve more outside exercise. As I rehab my knee that isn’t going to happen. I need to know what you like about November. What’s November’s good side? Somebody has to like November, right?
The short answer is no. There is no redeeming November. It’s a 30-day endurance test. If you endure it you get December.