Mood

The gentle reader will probably not need me to point out that tomorrow (for I write this missive on Sunday 17th January!) is known in some circles as ‘Blue Monday’… the most depressing day of the year!

It will also hardly be necessary for me to enumerate the more obvious reasons why this year in particular this January day already has a head start – even before taking into account the financial pressures of the festive season just passed – the generally grim weather throughout the northern hemisphere – the dis-incentives to indulge in exercise or to get out and about – the premature failure to keep up with any of the New Year’s resolutions that one was careless enough to make – the glacial pace with which the days grow longer – the seemingly endless wait for spring…

As suggested – I have not even mentioned the pandemic – the disturbing political situations in all too many places – the dismal fallout of Bre*it!

…and so on…

…and so on…

Is it any wonder that many of us find ourselves feeling a little – er… blue!

So – let us consider one or two cheerier things to raise our spirits a little:

• The beginning of the end for the Orange One! (To be followed – one hopes – shortly afterwards by the end of the end!). I have fingers, toes, eyes – everything crossed that all goes smoothly and without drama this Wednesday.
• The (various) vaccines! Yes – it will take a while but hope is so much better than despair and there are indications that the light at the end of the tunnel is not – after all – an oncoming train!
• Snowdrops and buds on trees. Yes – they are already starting to appear. Nature is brilliant and just doesn’t do gloom. There’s a good example for us…
• Technology! Yes – I know that there is much that needs to be done to sort out the inbalances and perversions that the major tech companies have – through their greed – allowed to become endemic… but this technology is currently keeping us in touch with each other and relatively sane. Two cheers for that!

OK – enough of that. In my next post I will look forward to the year ahead – something I have been putting off…