The Dreary Days of November

I always get a little down at this time of year.

I'm really a summer person. I like the long days filled with light and warmth. I like being able to walk outside without having to get dressed for 10 minutes beforehand. In short, I like summer.

Often, fall can also hold some appeal. It's the start of a new school year. We get new routines. The leaves are changing, ever so slowly. It's brisk and cool.

But I never want to do anything once it gets to this point. I just want to curl up and sleep for a day or so. That's how I feel tonight. I can see the pile of stuff that I need to get done (even here at home). I can see deadlines looming ever closer. But I have no motivation to do any of it.

I think it's because we are at the point when the days are remarkably shorter, especially in this latitude. The sun is setting by the time I go home. The freshness and excitement of fall has worn off. It's now a dying world out there. Soon, there will be a blanket of snow over everything. We won't get to run around outside until at least April (at least, not safely). We just hole ourselves up inside and run to our cars.

Sorry, I'm probably spreading my depression around by writing this. Some folks get excited over the ever-blackening universe we see at this time of year. I'm not one of those folks.