12 Months

I was thinking that my three favorite months of the year are June, July, and August (what are yours? - they don't have to be consecutive), and it prompted me to write down some of my general thoughts about all 12 months of the year.

January - Bleak, cold. Short days. I like that there are no major holidays - it's a nice break after the holiday gauntlet of Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas. It's also my birthday month, which is fun. Although I'd rather celebrate my birthday in the summer, it goes some way towards balancing out the bleakness of winter. Plus, it's the best time of year for snow, which I enjoy.

February - Despite being the shortest month, I remember it being a slog when I was still in school - no Mondays off; no four day weeks. I dislike Valentine's Day a lot less than when I was younger, now that I've recontextualized it as being about pleasure, and not the stress of romantic liaisons (or the absence thereof). In fact, I enjoy all the red and pink heart decorations. Plus, there's still a good chance for snow.

March - I have no interest in basketball. St. Patrick's Day I could take or leave, although I like the color green. Pi Day is a better celebration for me, personally - but I don't need an excuse to eat pizza. Spring starts, but you wouldn't know it yet. My mom and two brothers have their birthdays in the second half of the month, which is fun, but it also tends to get a little hectic with so much going on. Especially on years when Easter comes early...

April - I don't have any strong feelings about April. Used to be Tekko month, but now that the con has moved to July, there's not much going on. Easter doesn't do much for me, although the decorations are cute. Weather's getting nicer, but it's still not really warm enough for full summer mode. Flowers are pretty, but it's still early in the season.

May - May is okay. More flowers. Progressively milder weather. At the end of the month comes the unofficial start of summer, which is when I really come alive. But I'm pretty much biding my time and gearing up for what's to come at this point. May is like summer's waiting room.

June - Start of summer. My favorite time of year. Warm weather. Swimming, hiking. This is what I live for. Also, being Pride Month is nice. Whether you're gay or not, being unconventional, there's always a base line anxiety about judgment from normies. When it's Pride, there's more of a sense of camaraderie, and that if somebody doesn't like the way you express your identity, it's THEIR problem, not yours. (Unlike the rest of the year).

July - Very much like June, but deeper into the season. More warm weather, maybe even warmer than June (although it really depends). 4th of July I could take or leave, because 1) modern politics has spoiled me on excessive patriotism, and 2) although I like summer holidays in theory, I really prefer it when people stay home and I get the outdoors to myself. But still, this is the middle of my favorite part of the year.

August - Summer, part 3. Sometimes the weather's as hot as ever. Sometimes you get hurricane patterns, especially towards the end of the month. And there's a slight damper with the sense of kids going back to school, and the season coming to a close. Although that effects me less now that I'm long out of school. Last chance for swimming at pools, before they all close by Labor Day.

September - When I was a kid, I hated September - for obvious reasons. But even back then, I had the self-awareness to realize that if it weren't for school, it wouldn't be such a bad month. Notwithstanding hurricane patterns, there's usually still a lot of hot weather. And after Labor Day, there are less people outdoors. For me, the party continues. But the days are beginning to get noticeably shorter. Fall is coming!

October - I do like October a lot, because I love the whole atmosphere of Halloween (between the candy, the costumes, and the horror movies). And lately, you still tend to get some warm weather through the month, just less consistently. Halloween is one of the least stressful of the big holidays for me, because there's so little pressure in my family to celebrate. I can just take my own lead; put on a costume, and join the kids who aren't too old for trick 'r treating yet.

November - November is generally pretty bleak. We're fully into the fall now. Days are short, and with the clock change, very noticeably so. Weather has definitely cooled down, as well. I'm spending a lot of time working on my photo book for the end of the year, which is stressful. But I like Thanksgiving - more than Christmas, these days. Guaranteed good food, with good company. And with no pressure re: gifts and whatnot.

December - Not a fan of December. Very little of the magic of Christmas remains in my heart. Not none, mind you - but very little. I prefer to revel in it on my own. Gatherings at the end of the month tend to be as much stress as festivity anymore, especially with the retirement of the big Christmas Eve party in my family. There's some relief after I finish working on my photo book, but the weather's bleak, with only a small chance of significant snow yet. And the music quickly becomes insufferable. Once Christmas is done, it gets better - a week of rest, and New Years, which I tend to celebrate on my own terms. But I'm more happy than sad when January rolls around and the holidays are done.