One Thing or Another: Why November?

By Mark McNease

It’s always One Thing or Another… a lighthearted look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all.

November seems like an orphan month, stuck between the festivities of Halloween and the extravagance of Christmas. It’s that month when we wave goodbye to moderate weather, and say hello to furnaces and fireplaces. We watch leaves fall helplessly, their spectacular colors melting to a dull compost brown. November has a way of confirming our suspicions that nothing lasts forever. We get the tires checked or replaced, knowing they’ll soon be slipping and sliding in winter weather. We twiddle our thumbs, waiting for sleigh bells and gift ideas. November is just there, like a stretch of time spent in a waiting room. Eventually the door will open and we’ll be invited to the party, but in the meantime we’ll be reading a magazine on dental hygiene and hoping for the best.

November can be exciting if you celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or early retirement. But the month doesn’t offer much pizazz. It’s like February, that sad, short stretch of days sandwiched between the hopes of the new year and the tease of spring. November doesn’t announce itself with a confident, “I’m here, let’s have some fun!” It arrives with a sudden chill, reminding us to order new winter socks and get the space heater out.

The most options November offers are around the orgy we call Thanksgiving, as the month makes its exit with a groan and a handful of antacids. We can eat alone, with a spouse or partner, with friends, family, or not at all. And when it comes to family, it’s one of two major holidays, the other being Christmas, that present as many landmines as opportunities for spending time with relatives. There aren’t many people who have not gone home for Thanksgiving and been most thankful when they got in the car and drove away. See you next year for too much food, too much drink, and a stressful avoidance of politics! It’s been interesting!

There are some highlights to November I can’t neglect. My late mother was born this month. One of my dearest friends celebrates his birthday, too. My husband and I had a tradition of spending Thanksgiving in Atlantic City, offering our gratitude to penny slots and a frigid coastline. That was put on hold when I started working on Thursdays, but we’ll try again someday. Let’s see … that’s about it.

November is a reminder that another year is almost over, something not everyone wants to be reminded of. It lacks the giddiness of October, and the expectations of December. Maybe that’s a good thing, in retrospect. Maybe November is the calm before the fireworks that end one year and catapult us into the next. Maybe November is just what we need, when we need it.

Mark McNease is the author of ten novels, two short story collections and six produced plays. He was the co-creator of the Emmy and Telly winning children’s program Into the Outdoors. He currently lives in rural New Jersey with his husband and two cats. He can be found most days at MarkMcNease.com