The Most Depressing Day of the Year

Today is, according to a British researcher, the most depressing day of 2005. People are feeling down after the holidays, have fallen of the New Year’s Resolution Wagon, are in debt and perceive that there is nothing to look forward to.

When my alarm went off this morning the local morning show was talking about this phenomenon during their news segment. Chunga said he felt “icky” this morning and traffic-girl, Chelsea, also felt the blues. I was laying there thinking that this is the time of year that I finally come out of my funk. Christmas is a hard time for me; generally the depression settles in the week of Thanksgiving, peaks the week of Christmas, and fades away the end of January. “I’m the exception to the rule” is what I was thinking at 6:30 this morning.

I got up; made my way to work, through bad traffic and fog, still feeling like everything was okay. I booted up my computer, read through my email and attended a meeting...still everything was looking good. After the meeting, as I unlocked my computer to type up some notes, a message popped up.

“You have new mail. Would you like to read it now?”

“Yes.” I innocently replied.

Outlook opened my new message and my heart stopped. It was from the rat bastard.
“Hey, I have that thing for your wall now – could I see you sometime? --K”

First--That thing is a photograph he took while we were driving through the Alpine Loop last September, and was supposedly for my birthday (which as you’ll recall is November 5th), and

Second—Darling, I already gave you 3 1/2 years of my life that I will never get back; I’m sure it is not wise to see you nor do I want anything hanging on my bedroom wall that will remind me of you. Not to mention...

Third—the name you are known by to my friends and family is Rat Bastard. Doesn’t that say it all?

Now, plunged back into the memory of the more bad than good relationship that was us, remembering all the hurt and disappointment that (I’ll be honest here) we both heaped on the other, I find that January 24th might actually be the most depressing day of 2005.