January is the start of the Gregorian calendar year. Really though? January is just in the middle of winter. It’s not even good for the metaphor where Spring is the beginning of life, Summer is the first part of adulthood, Fall represents the time moving into the golden years, and Winter is the desolate, elderly years of life. It’s not my metaphor but it’s what I have to work with. If the calendar was really based on this concept then the new year would start in March (or April, maybe May if it was New England).
Anyways, while January is the month when 95% of new year’s resolutions are given up on, September is the beginning of much more important things. My new motto for September is:
“September, the real start of the new year.”
Basically, September is the start of the school year. I don’t think there are much bigger life changing developments than starting kindergarten, going to high school, moving into college, or switching to a new school at any point throughout those years.
At first I thought my motto was skewing too much to younger people but then I realized these moments are life-altering for parents, too. Even childless, college graduates (like myself) can see September as the real start of the year. Boston is a college town and the city slows down a bit over the summer but as soon as school is back in session the city gets a lot busier. Also, I live in Allston, so move in day means that the streets are filled with trash ranging from all the expired food people are finally throwing out to full-sized couches. It was a much happier moment than it should have been when I got to see a garbage truck crush a sofa. Life-altering, to say the least.
