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Original poster

September makes me feel a certain way

97 replies

Birdsonawireoopthere · 17/09/2023 21:33

I sort of like it…I love autumn, but also it feels strange, quieter & a bit empty.. I feel a bit down this week and very nostalgic

Does anyone else get weird September vibes?

OP posts:
TrickorTreacle · 18/09/2023 11:11

I don't care much for early September while it's still summer time. Late September is great though when it's properly autumn.

There is that song by Earth Wind & Fire called September.

PrrrplePineapple · 18/09/2023 11:23

I feel both ways about September...still like it because we often get good weather and the kids are back to school so everywhere is a bit quieter, but I'm also noticing the evenings get darker much sooner and the days getting shorter and feeling like winter is coming (least favourite season) and my favourite, spring, is so far away. But on the whole I enjoy September - there's a lot to look forward to. January is the WORST.

Toomanysquishmallows · 18/09/2023 11:35

I love September, I love the leaves starting to change colour , and it’s dd2,s birthday at the end of the month .

CatherinetheAverage · 18/09/2023 11:35

I get the melancholy nostalgia too (thank you for the phrase!) In addition to the summer ending, I think it's something to do with the quality of the light. The sun is lower and less glaring, so it slants through the window in a way that gives the feel of those 1970s photos - soft-edged and orange-tinted. And the early dusk makes you draw the curtains and sort of turn inwards again. Spring and summer are all expansive and sociable but autumn brings you back inside yourself somehow.

BeautifulWar · 18/09/2023 11:51

January is the WORST.

Urgh, I agree! The grey monotony of it is dreadful! I love every season, including early winter, but between January and the beginning of March is a real struggle for me.

ssd · 18/09/2023 11:53

Ifeel the same op

Calistano · 18/09/2023 11:59

Love September, feels a bit odd because of the non existent summer though.

Fuckitydoodah · 18/09/2023 12:38

I normally love September, but definitely feeling a bit melancholy this year. Maybe it's because I feel like we didn't really have much of a summer, so I don't feel as accepting of the changing season.

I'm really not looking forward to the nights drawing in.

DynamicK · 18/09/2023 12:44

I love september. It makes me feel all back-to-school-ish. Time to slow down but learn, read books, do a course. And also makes me feel I want to look after myself.
Rest and eat well.

It's the end of the summer restful calm that feels like coming home after a lovely strenuous day out.

sanityisamyth · 18/09/2023 13:04

I hate everything about autumn. Makes me feel very depressed and it feels a long time until spring and summer again.

CClaire · 18/09/2023 19:36

Your writing is definitely not average, Catherine! Beautifully put.

mrlistersgelfbride · 18/09/2023 19:39

I totally agree with you. This week in particular. I understand the eerie feeling! The weather has changed, things are quieter and you can feel the seasons changing. I've never been a September fan. October is ok, November and December are fantastic.

JenniferBooth · 18/09/2023 19:43

November for me too September in recent years has been far too humid

ToWhitToWhoo · 18/09/2023 20:07

Not really; endless rain does get me a bit down, but that can be in any month in the UK! What really gets me depressed is snow and ice (and associated slipperiness); but that's very rare at this time of year.

ToWhitToWhoo · 18/09/2023 20:19

The other thing that gets me really depressed is my birthday if I'm reminded of it; but that also isn't in September.

As regards New Year, I am exposed to loads of New Years: calendar New Year; workplace New Year (university, so early October); Jewish New Year (which is usually in September; we've just had it); Muslim New Year; and Chinese New Year. Well, in these uncertain times, we need all the Happy New Years that we can get!

Delatron · 18/09/2023 20:43

It feels worse this year as we haven’t had much of a summer. This week I’ve suddenly felt exhausted- it’s a slog through autumn and winter and the lack of light affects me.

The weather looks nice next week and I’ll be clinging to every last bit of sunshine! I find November just awful. December ok because of Christmas then from Jan I obsessively check the sun rise and sun set times as it cheers me up when the days start getting longer again.

Spring (especially if it’s warm) is my favourite- you have hope then of a nice summer.

ZickZack · 18/09/2023 20:47

I love September. I love the summer ending, the darker nights, the rain. I also loved the fact we were back at school/uni on September. Like a new "year" had started. Maybe that's why you feel a bit melancholy? Memories of childhood starting school etc are quite strong?

Gwendimarco · 18/09/2023 20:55

I feel this way too to a degree.

Really not getting the ‘crisp’ feeling yet though. Downright soggy where I am.

Hibye23289 · 18/09/2023 20:57

I am dreading Autumn and Winter!!

35965a · 18/09/2023 20:59

I don’t mind September, usually it’s warm enough but also becoming more crisp, which I quite like. I do feel weird about January and February though. Absolutely hate them. The vibe is just so dull and dreary and they seem to go on for ages. So I do get what you mean!

Peacockcolours · 18/09/2023 21:01

Yes this is me too - I never do all the things planned during summer and then feel I’ve let down my family 😟

Houseplantmad · 18/09/2023 21:05

ShowOfHands · 17/09/2023 21:38

I know what you mean op. I adore Autumn but September also has a vein of nostalgic melancholy running through it. I find myself thinking about my grandparents and sleeping under candlewick in their back bedroom. It's something to do with the drawing in of the evenings, the crispness of change. I find myself yearning for something I can't pinpoint.

Beautifully put!

LlynTegid · 18/09/2023 21:32

I don't feel empty at all in September.

What I dislike about autumn is putting the clocks back at the end of October. To me it is as outdated as old money, flares and seeing red squirrels.

5foot5 · 18/09/2023 21:33

I think May and June are definitely the loveliest months of the year. Spring blossom, everything greening up, so much hope and promise for summer.

But there is something special about September. We are starting to get fed up of Summer and longing for crisp Autumn days. Christmas on the distant horizon to plan and prepare for. Resuming clubs and leisure activities that stop over the summer holidays.

One thing that doesn't seem to be about as much now is evening classes. I mean, maybe they are still about in worthy disciplines, but I remember when all sorts of hobby classes were available for modest sums of money. Back in the 1970s my Mum and her friend signed up for wine making classes one night a week and had a fantastic time.

Even in my early adulthood in the late 1980s and 1990s there would be an extensive programme of fun courses available in the evenings. I remember self defense for women was hilarious and DH enjoyed me demonstrating what I had learned when I got home. We both enjoyed the more decorous French conversation classes and I also remember cake decorating and baking for Christmas being a thing. I looked forward to picking up the year's programme from the library to see what was on offer. These days that sort of thing no longer seems to be available through Leas.

I remember once going to a local craft shop to see if I could buy a Tunisian crochet hook and the man looked very surprised and said "People only buy those in September when the new courses start." That sort of summed up September for me.

ssd · 18/09/2023 22:00

Forever Autumn by the Moody Blues is perfect for this time of year