January, the real test

I dread January for the most part. It's a mix of germs and anti climactic holiday induced family get togethers. We brace for the holidays, hoping that the crazy won't be unleashed like it was the year prior. We always get through it and around the time when we're taking down the tree we realize November and December just flew by. Then comes January.

September school starts ( not fun but interesting), October is Halloween, November is Thanksgiving ( also my birthday, jot it down) and December is Christmas. Then January. It always feels drained, grey and cold. Not just the weather either. People are tired. People are hating themselves for being 4 days in on the weight loss resolution and eating a Snickers bar in the parking lot of the grocery store.

Don't you judge me.

As a teen I hated it because in our school district after the holidays came our new class schedule. Months of knowing your teachers, your classmates and what classes you could skip gone. All in the name of January. Oh sure, some will say in the name of education but I will argue that I have yet to use solder besides in 8th grade metals class. Of course my former teacher would say that's safer for everyone but I digress.

January in high school seemed to bring a rash and break ups. Something about getting over the holidays and being away from their significant other for 13 days made sixteen year old minds either re-evaluate or forget their relationships. It really could have been either. At that age our brains are like etch-a-sketches. If we're disturbed to much you have to start all over.

The halls would be dotted with clusters of crying teen girls and boys hitting their lockers. 32% of them would write bad poetry. 16% would get back together until another screen clearing shake. The rest were causalities of January.

I'm not even going to start about the weather. I'm in MN. I knew what I signed up for. That being said, it doesn't help.

So I sit here, waiting for January to end. On the plus side it's almost over.