New January

With the exception of when I worked (for a short time) as a clown/child minder over the dinner hours at Cobb and Co. I don't think I have ever worked in January- and even the Clown job doesn't count as I still had the days to myself.

As a child, student, teacher and then mother January has always been an open plain full of possibilities, opportunities and loose plans. It also has the option to be a waste land or a place between two worlds.

In my ideal calendar January would be shortened to 21 days with the other 10 added to February. The first of February would then become the beginning of the new year. Leaving January as a sort of holiday/recovery/preparation period.

You can use the New January to catch up with friends, pack-up the trimmings and trappings of Christmas. Work on eating your Christmas goodies and left overs in preparation for all the new resolve a new year brings and so forth.

Reading would be a compulsory New January activity. People would flock to their libraries and bookshops before heading to the beach- the library would in fact be the hang out of choice on the odd rainy New January day. (So much so that you'd see a whole new chain of "Starbucks@theLibrary" cafes set up). In support of New January ideals internet providers would provide free extra bandwidth for the month to support the online reading activities of their customers.

New Janauary would be a great time for taking long walks alone and with friends. Tracks and such through bush and to beaches or historic places. Or a photo walk around your home area. Or a walk around the shops in a local small town.

Preparation for new beginnings would also be a large part of New January activity. It's one thing to make a new years resolutions it's a whole other to dive into the new year mindful, organised and ready. New January presents an opportunity to eat the crap food currently hiding in the house, research healthy and hearty meal options and wean yourself off of your particular vice. The traditional 6 days between Christmas and the current New Year is simply not enough. New January reading would also play a part here providing opportunities to read various blogs and websites that suit your change philosophy.

New January Nothing would be an actual known and accepted activity. For example imagine you are lying on the couch watching Star Wars, Strictly Ballroom or reruns of Outrageous Fortune wearing PJ's while munching on chips at 3:51pm whilst surrounded by your laptop computer, 3 novels, a recipe book and two magazines and various empty glasses, plates and a small bowl with summer fruit stones. Your flatmate, soul mate or best mate walks in and says: "What are you doing?"
To which you of course reply: "New January Nothing"
And they say: "Oh of course, Sweet!"

A New January in this vein would solve so many issues for me. I'm not ready to start the new year of goals and plans on a Jan 1 new year. I generally haven't yet had a chance to consider my word of the year and what it means for me by January 1. I feel like I am being left behind by all the real world grown-ups who are in fresh start mode and all enthusiastic and energetic for the new year. But for the past 36 years January has been holiday mode for me and I'm not keen or willing to change that. So I'm voting for a New January- care to join me?

♥