January, The Month that feels 27 Years Long.

Why is that? The silly season is over and done with, we all know what day it is now without checking our phones or asking our Generic Smart Speaker for clarification. The decorations are back in the loft, well yours are, I don't actually have any, or a loft for that matter. The presents bought are either being used on the regular or consigned to a drawer with a promise to yourself that you will read that book, or complete the wooden puzzle or try out the roller blades that your 40 year old (plus) mind thought would be a superb idea to ask your other half for. I hate to admit it, but I am toying with getting a pair again, I used to love roller blading. I am guessing the kids are bored of their gifts or are totally lost in their new screen, probably playing Roblox and bugging you for Robux to buy a new outfit or something, I don't know, I am 52. Is Roblox still a thing? I only know about it as for a period in 2020 I lived in a household where one of the daughters of my friend was mad on it. Did you go out on New Years Eve? No? I didn't either, it feels like the biggest disappointment of a planned night out ever, you think it is going to be awesome, think that everyone will be out and the places you visit will be buzzing and it rarely ever turns out that way. I stayed in, I didn't even have a drink. I watched some TV and was tucked up by 2330hrs. I am being goodish with drink. Ok, I am in the Loopy, it is a Saturday afternoon and I have decided that as long as I have no Sunday plans, the odd vino is ok on a Saturday. This is only my second drinking day since 28th December. Two days in the last fourteen is not bad. Did you make resolutions? If you are an ever faithful, you will know I didn't and if you are new to me, welcome, pull up a seat, turn the thermostat up, its bloody cold, pour a vino, why not, and have a read of this; https://www.my11yearplan.com/post/new-year-new-me. Back? Cool. My conversations over the last few weeks have been intermingled with chats about how fast the years appear to be passing, but that January always seems to drag and it is true, or at least that is our perception, I am quietly confident that you have had similar chats or thoughts. Why is that? I have some theories, the restrictions people put on themselves with Dry January and resolutions, removing the things that bring them joy and staring at a date when they are allowed to indulge again, wishing the time away. It is like booking a holiday, it is exciting to have something to look forward to, but oh do the days ever drag to that actual day when you are packed and heading to the airport. Then you get lost in the headiness of looking at the duty free, ordering a breakfast and a pint of lager at 0700hrs, because of the 'airside rule'. Then you arrive at your destination and those 7,10,14 days fly by. I used to, in my married days, holiday with my wife. Way to state the bloody obvious Paul. Stick with me, there is a point. And we holidayed with another couple! See! I am not just a vacuous vessel of randomness. OK, sometimes I am.

The lady of this other couple would by day three or four of the holiday, and bearing in mind we used to go away for around 16 nights, start getting all down and saying that the holiday was flying by. I would counter, that one way to look at is if you can say that this time next week 'I will still be here' then you have loads of time left.

When you can't say that, well that is the point when you know you are on the downward spiral and I still stand by that principle today. Granted it only works for holidays that are over a week long, but you get the gist, look at the positive always. I like to take a moment when on holiday and really live in that moment and say to myself, I am here, right now, enjoy it, don't think of going home, that's a given, but it is not right now. Oosh, that was almost deep and I can be as shallow as a summer rain shower puddle exposed to the sun. As I write it is 11th January, we are nearly at the halfway point of the month and to be honest for the first time in many years it doesn't feel like it has dragged. I am not convinced many are doing Dry January in my lovely town as The Loopy is rammed and I am not seeing many Coke Zero's being poured and consumed. I see G&T's, large wines and pints, good for them! Today was meant to be dry for me, only because of plans to go to Llandegla on Sunday with the biking lot and throw myself down some trails, but we have snow on them their hills, so they are closed, all moved to the following Sunday as the weather is due to improve. Yes I am nervous, I hardly rode last year and whilst I am confident in my ability, being rusty forces bad habits and mistakes, I will be fine after a couple of runs, or I will be in A&E and that is all part of the attraction to the sport, that risk, that adrenaline rush, it is addictive.

I also have a holiday booked I know, go me, planning ahead, who would have though it, the ESTP making plans. I am off to Egypt on the 8th March, just a week, all inclusive and I plan to sit by the pool with my Kindle, to snorkel and to relax, limit my screen time and enjoy that sun.

To be honest, and as before if you are with me on this journey you will have read that 2024 had a funny taste. I have no idea if it is simply that I have decided that 2025 is going to be better (no I didn't manifest it, that's the new nonsense isn't it) but it already feels different. Yes, I know that between 31st December and 1st January the time passes as it does between any other two dates but I genuinely feel different, energised, focused and willing to get back on the horse. I want to grab life by the scruff of its ugly neck and shake the very shit out of it. I want to hike, bike, wild camp, wild swim, I have renewed a lot of my hiking and camping gear and I fully intend to use it, I am in the perfect location after all for that life. What's not to like about sitting in what feels like the middle of nowhere with zero light pollution looking at the stars, listening to the sounds of the wild and simply breathing, waking to a glorious sunrise, or cloud, lets not try to over romanticise it Paul, this is the UK. I have been to gym more times in the eleven days of this month than I did in the whole of December, I have re-opened my application to become Chartered and it all feels like the right time. And I have totally diverted from the thread of the subject of this post, or have I?

Have I lead you my ever faithful down the path I wanted you to go? Ha, as if I am that accomplished as a writer. Why does January feel like it goes on forever? There are many theories and I have actually read some papers on the subject. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0304660 Wait, what, who is a geek?

When we were young the summer went on forever, the days were long and September felt like a lifetime away, remember those days? I have very fond memories of a really good mate, initials are RH, who used to call for me on a Saturday, early afternoon, after the usual morning TV shows, I would answer the door and we would say 'And Get Fresh' to each other in a weird voice as it was the catchphrase of the very TV show we had been watching, Get Fresh, with Gaz Topp and Gilbert the Alien. Great memories. Great Days. Well, those days were the same length as they are now, but the younger versions of who we are now were experiencing things for the first time and our brains took time to savour that, we had no responsibilities, no worries of any real consequence and we had all the time in the world. Heady days indeed. Now we put pressures on ourselves to be better, to work harder, to go to the gym, to eat better, to walk, to limit the treats and that ultimately leads us to desire the time we allow ourselves to indulge. As most of those thoughts are in January, this is why I believe it feels like it drags. Oosh, that was a bit boring, sorry, I was doing so well too. A closing thought. Buy the shoes. Eat the cake. Drink the wine. Life is short. Fuck January, it is just 31 days. February will soon be here, there will be early signs of spring and it's going to be a great time. Grab life by the scruff and wring the shit out of it. Because I intend to. Coming with..?