What's The Point of...January?

Happy February! 

How has this year been so far? Feels like a year was stuffed into January, isn't it? 

Every December, a small part of us hopes that the new year will be better. The year has been tough. There are too many ups and downs, too many setbacks. And while we are grappling with our personal problems, the world outside is getting worse. 

So we hope, as the new year rings in, that the new year will be better. The world will heal, and with it, so will you.

Except, January is decidedly the worst month to keep promises.

Forget New Year's resolutions. The promises and hope you had for the new year are wiped away.

It's somehow worse. 

December at least distracts you with festivals and cold weather and holidays.

January slaps you in the face with a reality check.

Speaking of checks... remember the rent cheque is due?

Holidays? You had enough last month and you better be working a couple of weekends.

Cold weather? Remember climate change? It's not going to be that cold that year, so stuff those jackets and ugly sweaters back in.

Work is hard. Bills need to be urgently paid. Family who promised to stay in touch during the holidays no longer have time for you.

The resolutions are in the trash. You're not paying for a gym membership when inflation is eating away your grocery bills.

Everything is somehow more expensive. Or it always was, and you didn't notice because the end of the year cheer got you distracted.

The new year brings in a set of new problems that make you almost think that maybe last year wasn't so bad after all.

You are scammed. You have your money stolen. No one helps you. The washing machine breaks down. The shower starts to leak. You spend money to replace pipes only to have them burst on that very day. Your favorite t-shirt tears. You lose a precious memento.

People hound you to pay bills you didn't know even existed. But it's an annual bill, which is why you forgot about it.

Also, somewhere along the lines, you were hacked, and now you can't gain access to your emails.

You look for new jobs and get a string of rejections. Your family demands more out of you. You have little to give. Now they're angry with you for not contributing enough.

This is barely two weeks into January.

But at least you can look out the window or scroll social media to get a respite.

Nope. No respite there either. The world is on the brink of war. It's pulled back, but before you can take a breather, a violent incident shakes you to the core. 

The world is back on the edge of war. One small push, and it's a full-fledge war. 

People are dying. Your favorite celebrity passed away. Or the celebrity you put on a pedestal comes out with radical political views. 

So you close the curtains, disable the social media apps, and sit in silence, stewing in an abundance of issues and practically no light at the end of the tunnel.

And it's only January.

Eleven months to go...