Oh July,
Dear seventh-month-of-the-year, I have to apologise. Quite honestly, I haven't always thought of you with kindness. Actually it's worse than that. Mostly I have never thought of you at all. And if it's a sad thing to be thought of with distaste, it's a million times sadder simply not to be considered in any way. And this is what I have done to you, July.
It's not that you are so very worthless. It's just that... the other months have always had so much going for them. Sure, December is either stifling or sticky, but it has Christmas. March brings Autumn with it. April gets by because it sounds pretty and, well, September actually is pretty, you know. And while we all know that (with a consistency that follows through year after year) August has the most disgusting calendar pictures ever, it also has my birthday, and I quite like birthdays. So there's a lot of competition right there, July. In the lineup of good months of the year, you barely even rate a mention.
You're just there, July, in the middle of Winter -- neither the relieved end of something, nor the exciting beginning of a new season. If I look back and consider your presence in my childhood, mostly I remember chapped, dry winter hands and that terrifying moment after stepping out from the bath into the breath-stealing air.
July, you have kind of been a nothing month to me, and for that I am sorry. But I'm also happy to say that my perception of you is changing. I don't want to be discriminatory or anything, but I like Queensland July better than New South Wales July -- and that's saying something, because Queensland and I have had something of a rocky relationship. But you, July-in-Queensland, you are quite lovely. You remind me of Autumn in New South Wales, which is special because I have always loved Autumn.
You're a month of dramatic moods, July. You are beautiful, brilliant, and crisp. Your days are bright, bright blue and clear skies. Your nights are cold and cosy, sharp and bitter. There are whole weeks of heavy grey rain that turns the ground to chilly swamp and sends us all a little bit crazy. But that also gives us the chance to wear ugg boots, cover our laps with quilts (and kittens), and sip chamomile tea. You have dolphins, July. Dolphins. I saw them carving and leaping through the water last week while I was sitting with a coffee in one hand and a textbook in the other. It was quite amazing.
I guess what I'm trying to say, July, is that I'm warming to you -- even though my feet are cold.
(Newly-developing) love,
Danielle
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(This is the beginning of my new creative blogging project, picking up where the last project finished off. 52 pictures gets replaced by one hundred letters -- to anyone (or anything). I'm excited!)
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Conversations:
Andrea -- once a week is a lot easier to keep momentum than once a day!
Lauren -- thank you :D
It's a forgotten sort of month, isn't it? You feel as though things should be getting warmer and the days growing longer, but nothing seems to happen at all. For me, July signifies (too) cold weather and the return to work after the Term Two holidays - two very unfantastic things. But maybe I will draw inspiration from your letter to this most neglected of months and try to see some good in July.
ReplyDeleteOo! I'm excited, too! Hooray to more Danielle-words!
ReplyDeleteAnd hm...I do rather like writing letters. It's quite addictive, actually. And it has even gotten me out of a pickle while writing a couple of articles.
Cool idea! I love letters - can't wait to read the rest!! :)
ReplyDeletejust love this, you superior thing. x
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I've never considered writing a letter to a month on the calendar. :P But we're talking Danielle here, so of course anything goes. :) Love it! Oh, and if you get stuck, one of your hundred letters can be to me, I won't mind. xo
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this! I have never experienced an Australian July and this gave me a lovely picture in my mind. Quite different from the Julys I am used to. But the fact that it is WINTER and you still have green leaves there is amazing to me...
ReplyDeleteClassic :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is so shocking to me that July makes you cold. It is 38 degrees C here today, this week, this whole month so far, and we are all diving into whatever waters we can find and eating ice products like they'll melt away if we don't. July has always been the month, the one and only month (usually), that it is hot enough for water fights and bathing suits on the lawn. The one time swimming in 16 degree (C) water seems like a bit of heaven.
ReplyDeleteAnd then you go and write about boots and tea and cuddles and my headspace gets so disconnected from my bodyspace that it takes me a few moments to swim back out. I know the hemispheres have reversed seasons, sure. But it's a hard thing to understand.
Also, hi!
This is a very awesome post. Love it.
ReplyDelete