Annemarie
November. It gets a lot of flack from most people, and it is often deemed a useless, dreary month. It probably ranks near the bottom on the scale of the most well-liked months, maybe between January and September. The excitement of Halloween comes to an abrupt stop, and it seems like Christmas is ages away. Sure, there’s Thanksgiving if you’re American and Black Friday or Cyber Monday if you’re into shopping, but those are nothing in comparison to the holidays that October and December boast. It’s dark, dry, and cold, and you just want to stay inside huddled in a warm onesie with a hot beverage. It seems like 30 days to just push through and get over with. Even I have to admit, November isn’t my absolute favourite month, and my birthday’s on the 29th. But it deserves better, and I’m here to tell you why.
By the way, this idea was partially inspired by this tweet!
https://twitter.com/cheIss_/status/928380105457635335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffuzzable.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D120879%26action%3Dedit
November has always been a month of thinking for me. It might just be because of my birthday that I feel the need to reflect on my life. Or maybe it’s the end of the year, or the dreary weather (I’ve already gone on about how I function better when it’s raining). I think about the past year and everything I did or didn’t do. I think about the present, where I am right now and whether or not I’m happy with that. And perhaps most of all, I think about the future and everything I envision being in my life for the next year.
All of this thinking can prove to be productive and insightful. I might figure some things out about myself or come up with some amazing ideas. However, given my tendency to overthink everything, all of this reflection can also be a very bad thing. I can think myself into a downward spiral of worries, which never ends well. Luckily, November is usually a very busy month in terms of school as everyone rushes to finish their projects before the Christmas break. So, diving into the ever-growing pile of homework and trying to stay afloat in the pool of deadlines is a good distraction from some of the less pleasant thoughts.
There are also some pretty cool things that happen every November that often go unnoticed. It’s the month where writers hunch over their laptops and churn out novels fueled by coffee for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Men take a break from shaving and let their staches shine to raise awareness of men’s health issues. There are several important causes that November is dedicated to raising awareness for, such as impaired driving prevention, lung cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. We also celebrate everything from pomegranates to toilets to vegans. Plus, you are also basically guaranteed a new Little Mix album if the last few years are anything to go by.
I think that November is necessary for us to get our bearings and shift gears in order to fully appreciate the holiday season. In many ways, it’s a month of transition. The weather changes from fall to winter (or spring to summer if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere). Your mindset (hopefully) shifts from panicking about deadlines to enjoying the holiday season. In fact, the Christmas music just started playing this past weekend on my local radio station! I’m just waiting for a little snow before I get full-on festive.
So, besides the obvious factors of weather, holidays, and whether or not school is in session, how do people pick their favourite and least favourite months? The memories and sentimentalities they have associated with them. Even if you’ve completely moved on from something that happened in a certain month, I think that subconsciously, the general vibe of that event becomes engrained in your perception of that month. Even things like an ex’s birthday can push your preferred month to the bottom of the list. So, even if you hate November because of the memories you associate with it, go out now and make new ones! It’s never too late to turn the month around and own it.
Hopefully, this post managed to shake off your November blues, if only a little. To end on a musical note, here’s a song I discovered recently that just about sums up my thoughts about November!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhiDWvF-ma4
What are your thoughts on the month of November? Love it? Can’t stand the dreariness? Drop a comment down below or let us know on Twitter @Fuzzable!
