Nobody really likes February, do they? Certainly not fans of exiled NFL playoff teams who vow they’ll boycott the Super Bowl (that’s why they have that extra week before the game so you can come back around). Maybe you’re smart spend the month on a remote Caribbean island or house swap with somebody in Marrakesh. But for people at home they’re in a more demanding place.
I’m back from Patagonia and while I was there I convinced myself February would be a nice reset. Now that I’m installed in New York and staring down the barrel of a sober month of work and winter, that seems less appealing. Self-improvement is always more appealing in the abstract. But we abide. These resets are necessary and in the unforgiving midwinter light, probably a good thing. I light a tall candle, listen to monastic music, read, write and drink Japanese tea. When I say it like that it sounds less than ideal, but it’s not so bad.