With the end of the holiday season, and the beginning of “Oh crap, we still have months left of this miserable weather” season, we often try to find things to believe in. We all need that thing to hope for, to look forward to, to get us through. It’s a stupid mental trick we do to ourselves.
It’s time we stop tricking ourselves into looking forward to things. It’s going to be crappy for a long time, and the sooner we all acknowledge this, the better our chances are of moving on. We don’t need winter escapism, we need to face reality and somehow make our peace with it. It’s unfair of us to put so much pressure on these things we hope for.
So I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t get excited about things around the corner.
What: The tentative deal between the NHL and the players’ association, and the season to come.
When: Sometime later this winter, lasting into the summer.
Why you shouldn’t get excited: It’s a tentative deal, hockey fans. That means it’s not done, and if there’s anything the lockout has shown us, it’s that deals can fall apart at any moment. Keep in mind that should this shortened season go as planned, you are still watching a bunch of guys who haven’t been playing together in the better part of a year, and some of their teammates may not have even come back yet from the European leagues.
Bonus reason not to get excited: Leading off a blog post in the U.S. talking about hockey is a sure way to lose readers.
What: The Supreme Court’s hearing of same-sex marriage cases.
When: March.
Why you shouldn’t get excited: I’m no expert on these cases or the Supreme Court, but as soon as a decision comes down, the people who disagree with the ruling are going to be all over Facebook reposting the same lame status messages. The worst part is that you know this isn’t going to mean more hot lady-on-lady action in evening news.
What: Gun Appreciation Day.
When: January 19.
Why you shouldn’t get excited: It’s just a BS holiday cooked up by reactionary conservative groups. You get your gun a rack, a lock, ammunition and a permit, and now you have to get it a card, too?
What: Downton Abbey season three.
When: Sundays on PBS.
Why you shouldn’t get excited: SPOILER ALERT. Mister Bates will continue to have the worst luck in the world and he’ll still annoyingly hold his head high. That servant everyone hates will continue to be so much of a backstory-less prick that he’s not believable as a character. The future of the house will continue to be in doubt, because otherwise, there’s no show. Seriously, how inept of an estate manager can one dude be?
Bonus: The people who will get those jokes probably aren’t my readers. Other than my mom.