November

In the United States, November is the confluence of so many things; elections, school mid-terms, Deer Hunting season (Wisconsin), fall sports (basketball, football, and hockey), and ending with Thanksgiving, which is the kick off to the holiday season. For most Americans, November means ramping up to finish the year strong, surrounded by family and loved ones before ringing in the coming new year when they start the process over again.

In general, I love November. The weather is the perfect balance of warm and cold. Evening meals transition to more hearty fare, football is in full swing, and Christmas is just around the corner. Few things are as wonderful as passing out under a warm blanket on a November Sunday, a little snow coming down, and homemade chili slow cooking in a crock pot, the aroma of the spices filling the house.

My own relationship with November is complex. So much of my life has been impacted by events that occurred in November. Most of them good, some of them bad, but all of them left lasting affects, for better or worse.

I grew up in a conservative family where we would travel to Eagle River, WI for deer hunting and a big, family Thanksgiving; events that were both enchanting and fraught at the same time.

Few things can be as peaceful as being out in the woods of northern Wisconsin with nothing to keep you company but the sound of your breathing, the whispers of fall winds through the pines, and the skitter of the first snowflakes across the forest floor. Being out in the woods for me was preferable to being around people.

The last Thanksgiving I attended in Eagle River would kick off an identity crisis that plagues me to this day. 1991 would see a Thanksgiving where a relative I looked up to and respected for years would make me feel so insignificant and stupid for daring to become the person I wanted to be rather than the person I was expected to be.

My brother, my best friend, was born in November. He and I have had our moments, but he’s my brother, and I think the world of him.

I met my wife in November while working overnights at a local grocery store.

While living in Illinois, Michelle and I would have Thanksgiving with our roommates and friends who couldn’t get home to their families.

Throughout my college career, mid-November was the halfway point of the fall semester, which often meant a mini vacation from school due to the Thanksgiving holiday, and I loved every minute of it.

November 2004 my father in law passed. He was a mentor to me, and most important, he was my friend, and I miss him every day.

US Elections are typically held in November, events that distress, fascinate, and piss me off in equal measure.

November 2020 was a standout for me because in November of 2020 I found my will to fight and chose to live rather than become another, tragic statistic at the hands of 200 or 300 pills, a lot of rum, and hypothermia.

November 2026 marks my second November living in Nova Scotia. I have found my place, my peace, and my home. I am grateful for the journey, the pain, and the perspective November has given me over the years. I look forward to many more.