Man I love the holidays. I love it so much, it’s sad to see it go.
Ahh, The season of red and green (or blue and white if Hanukkah is your thing). Friends, family, candy and fattening foods are all hallmarks of the now bygone time of year. In a lot of ways this is good. While I’m all about slowing down towards the end of December, sometimes people milk that just a little too much for their own good.
Since everything kind of “ends” with New Years Eve, Jan 1 brings on the new year and a sense of renewal. I’m sure you all know the deal: “20XX is going to be my year! We’re going to do blah blah blah.” Blown resolutions aside, there is something fundamentally great about taking time to prioritize your life….even if over the course of the next year you all but lose that determination.
For me, I “slowed down for the holidays” myself in trying to get my next novel done. I had lofty goals of getting the first draft done by the end of 2013. This didn’t happen, but I still feel that I can hit my release deadline (if self-published) of Q4 2014. Like I mentioned before, sometimes it’s cool to miss a deadline here and there.
The sad part on the festive front is that there are no “major” holidays between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day. That’s six weeks in the dead of winter with nothing color coded to celebrate. This is why corporations bring on the candied hearts by the truckload so early. Save for the Super Bowl, (sometimes comically called the “Big Game” to avoid copyright issues) there’s really nothing to “gear up” for.
This is despite the fact that Valentine’s Day is still one of the more polarizing holidays of the year.
I think we creative types should have a holiday in the end of January called “Finish Your Stuff Day.” We’ll pick two colors at random (lime green and sky blue would be my choice) and we’ll stock the shelves with candied check marks so we’ll feel accomplished.
Who’s with me?
–Flobo
Flobo Boyce 