January: The Month That Feels Like “Skinamarink”
Here we are, deep in the throes of January. If you’ve ever seen the surreal horror movie Skinamarink, you’ll understand when I say this month feels like what would happen if Skinamarink were a month. Oppressively long, disorienting, and endless—January this year is dragging in a way that feels almost personal.
To make matters worse, this January is one of those with five full weeks. That extra week on the calendar? It’s like the universe decided to throw in a bonus round of cold, dark monotony just to see if we’d notice.
As I write this, it’s only January 17th. Only the 17th. Which means we’re not even close to the finish line. And yet, every day feels like a mini-eternity.
Now don’t get me wrong—I’ve spent plenty of time complaining about how fast life seems to be flying by. There’s never enough time in the day, right? But this month? Oh, there’s time. There’s so much time. So much so that by 5:00 PM every evening, you’re already drained, staring into the abyss, wondering how it’s still only January.
They say “Blue Monday” hits a few weeks after Christmas—that unofficial holiday when credit card bills are due, the winter doldrums set in, and your New Year’s resolutions have either crumbled or become oppressive. This year, though? Every single day of January feels like Blue Monday.
It’s weird. It’s strange. It’s never-ending. It’s punishing. It’s brutal.
And I think we all feel it. The days, though technically growing longer, seem darker. The weather seems colder. Everything takes just a little longer than it should. And when push comes to shove, that creeping fatigue washes over you like a relentless wave.
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I need some vitamin D, zinc, and a few hours in front of a light therapy lamp. But I don’t think it’s just me—I think it’s you, too. It’s all of us. We’re longing for something else, something brighter, something warmer.
And it sure as hell isn’t January. Thankfully, there’s only 755 days left of the month to go.
