BLUE MONDAY 2.0

            So how did your Blue Monday go? Not surprisingly, and true to form for me, I had a pretty good day. You know, I’ve always had a problem with being told what to do. If I hadn’t been told that Monday January 18^th was mathematically proven to be the most depressing day of the year, thus Blue Monday, chances are I would have been pretty gloomy, too, with it being a Monday, after all, and colder than a ……….you pick one…..out there and I’m still driving to work in the dark and it’s a Saskatchewan January and…

            But you know what? When the sun did start to come up over the horizon it revealed the most beautiful, colourful sunrise and there was fresh hoar frost on the trees adding more beauty to the scenery and even with the “Extreme Cold Warning” flashing across the Weather Network screen there was very little wind to speak of making it a decent enough day for the middle of January in Saskatchewan.

Just because I don’t really like the cold weather doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the beauty that this time of year can bring and although it wasn’t a beach along the Caribbean Sea with a blazing sun and a cold beverage within arms reach it wasn’t the coldest place on the planet either. This time.

            It’s pretty hard not to get sucked into the post-Christmas Winter Blues anyway, let alone have it reinforced in us by a mathematician who’s got way too much time on his hands to be figuring out a mathematical equation to pinpoint exactly when the majority of people are reaching their lowest point in this too-long winter. I’m thinking most of us would have gotten there without being told the exact date.

            I do not mean to diminish the true effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder, (SAD), the clinical definition of Winter Blues, because it is a clinically proven mental health issue and one cannot just “attitude” depression and anxiety away, regardless of the cause. That said, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to be as positive as possible whenever we can.

            Oil is under $30 a barrel, the loonie’s tanking and every news channel’s got their economic scare tactics going in full bloom. Again, I do not want to take away from the economic downturn and its life-altering side effects but do we need to talk about it ad nauseum? How about refocusing a little attention on a solution instead of whining about the problem? But that’s maybe something else that cannot be “attitude adjusted”.

            But, hey, we’re gaining a couple of minutes of sunlight every day and the worst day is already behind us, if we believe the mathematician, and despite a couple of cold spells this winter hasn’t been nearly as cold as last winter’s version. Thank you El Nino.

            The economic situation has made many people rethink their priorities, too, and “Stay-cations” are being considered over the usual “Hot Holiday” destinations. That might not be a bad thing for Canadian tourism and its spinoff economic benefits. I saw a report that said that many Canadian winter sport resorts are enjoying their best year ever. Keeping some money at home can’t be all that bad, don’t you think?

             Thankfully Blue Monday is fading from our memory and it’s time to move forward with hope and faith. The year’s still young. There’s a lot to look forward to and nowhere to go but up.

“Every day may not be good…but there’s something good in every day.”-Alice Morse Earle (1851-1911).