On Not Actually Being That Keen On The Old Spring (Season)

[Andy X]

I really don't look forward to this time of year and I can't believe it's all that unusual to suffer from this kind of reverse SAD. Yet I have never got a single person to admit to it. How can this be?

Evidently then, there's an unspoken consensus that there's something unconditionally shameful about feeling this way...and springtime has therefore become one of those things that people pretend to enjoy - like Comic Relief or karaoke.

It's not that I have anything much against the more cheerful side of Nature. In the summer I like to grow big yellow sunflowers, of which I am rightly proud, and I love a glorious day in late summer or autumn, as long as there's a breeze and I'm in the countryside or by the sea. Towns and cities in summer are mostly hellish, obvs.

It's nice to see duckings and listen to the birds getting over-excited and all that. But I feel Nature is a bit too pleased with itself and find spring just boring after winter* It's bright out for fucking hours on end but in an uninteresting way; quite different from the blazing honey-coloured sunshine at the other end of the year.

I honestly hate the days getting longer and longer. It actually bothers and depresses me like jet-lag: as far as I'm concerned if you're coming home from work or wherever in the evening it should be dark or at least getting dark. If it's not, then a surfeit of daytime has occurred.

The more I think of it I believe I genuinely dislike the Spring.

I've done this poll to aid my research - basically a tarted up version of that highly original conversation-starter 'What's your favourite season??'

I am not a Goth.

_______________________________
*Not Christmas, Winter.

 

[Loquaciousness]

I love love love Spring! A lovely sunny day like today, with a light breeze and not too hot is just great for taking a walk and sitting in the sun. I hate winter and wearing lots of layers, horrible storms and getting wet and cold. Going to and returning from work in the dark depresses me.
So a big 'Hello, happy to see you Spring' from me.

 

[Cultjunky]

I luff the lighter mornings, I'm one of those freaks that likes to wake with the sun, more or less, and start the day with a walk around my local park. Just me, the dog walkers and a bunch of elderly Chinese women walking along swinging their arms, it such a relaxed and pleasant way to start the day.

Not in winter though.

 

[rynner2]

Let's face it, Andy, you're already out numbered on this!

We're in a fine sunny spell of weather here, and my only regret is that I'm no longer young enough to take full advantage of it.

But when I'm out in the warm sunshine, a line from a folksong keeps going through my head, something like
"And the cold winds of winter are all gone away..." Magical!

And lots of people feel the same, with the traditional May Day festivals coming up, like Padstow and Helston Furry here in Cornwall.

But to switch to science instead, it's generally accepted that those people who suffer from depression benefit from more daylight, so you seem to suffer from some kind of anti-depression!

So I hope it's not really as bad as you make out.

But if it is, go with the flow, be a goth!

 

[drbastard]

I think more people suffer from SAD than is generally recognised as it probably gets conflated with depression.

Spring is nice because after a harsh, dark miserable, wet winter you get the feeling that things are coming back to life again.

My favorite season though is autumn, (well Septemberish). You can still get some sun, but it's cooler and fresher rather than being oppressively hot. The leaves are turning glorious colours and falling off the trees. Everything seems to have a certain pleasant hue about it.

 

[Andy X]

Let's face it, Andy, you're already out numbered on this!

On the contrary...if anything these results already definitely prove my theory that there is MASSIVE self-denial at work! Obviously 'they' have got to you too.

I'm not, by the way, trying to win an argument. I am genuinely curious to know if I am particularly 'unusual' in not being overwhelmed with joy at this time of year.

 

[Andy X]

Spring is nice

But why does there have to be so much of it??

It's seasonal correctness gone mad.

 

[Shady]

I'm with DrBastard on this, im an Autumn lover.

 

[Andy X]

Me too.

The oddity is, it's not that unusual for people to admit to not liking Autumn due to leaves or winter being on the cards, nights drawing in etc. Or to not liking summer as it's too hot and they have allergies, or even to not enjoying Christmas. Yet nobody will ever confess to disliking spring. This seems statistically peculiar to me.

 

[drbastard]

Just of the bat, the only thing I can suggest is depression. Honestly, it comes in many forms.

I'm not a great fan of the the spring/summer myself but for different reasons. As soon as the days get warmer, longer and sunnier, out crawl the world's wankers. The world comes alive with the sound of revving BMWs, Audis, boy racers and shite 'music'.

At least in winter these hydrophobic fuckwits stay indoors, playing on their Xboxes or wanking themselves into oblivion.

 

[GeorgeP]

And the biggest irony is that those morons are the future generation - stop the world, i want to get off!

 

[Andy X]

I'm not a great fan of the the spring/summer myself but for different reasons. As soon as the days get warmer, longer and sunnier, out crawl the world's wankers. The world comes alive with the sound of revving BMWs, Audis, boy racers and shite 'music'.

At least in winter these hydrophobic fuckwits stay indoors, playing on their Xboxes or wanking themselves into oblivion.

There is all that, and it pisses me off as well.

 

[GeorgeP]

The other day I took a short cut that passed a rugby field. A gang of job shy morons where laughing and joking and calling passers by rude names. My turn soon came. I eyeballed the oink which generated alot of sniggering from his mates. I replied with, "is that the best your limited brain cells can come up with?". He paused and stated that he has got rights - then swore at me. I concluded our contact with, "go and have a lay down buddy, some of what you just said probably hurt your head" - PRICK!

 

[Andy X]

Good for you. Obviously he didn't have the wit to try the 'Wha? You're not my Dad!' defence (to which there is a dazzling choice of rib-tickling counter-responses).

 

[Swifty]

I can take or leave Spring because it can't make its mind up ... I'm a Winter person for many reasons ... I hate being too hot ... In the Winter you can add extra layers of clothes but there's only so many layers you can take off in the Summer .. I have blonde hair so like to imagine myself the ancestor of a Viking invader or something that lived in a colder climate ..... my favourite time of year is May because, again, the light breeze coupled with the not to aggressive yet sunshine ..

 

[Andy X]

I can take or leave Spring because it can't make its mind up ...

Exactly. It's like Summer Lite.

Also the layers issue is crucial! I do like wearing t-shirt and shorts in the summer but feel frequently overcoooked.

Who knows how the hell to dress appropriately in the bleak, horrible spring....??

 

[Andy X]

I love love love Spring! A lovely sunny day like today, with a light breeze and not too hot is just great for taking a walk and sitting in the sun. I hate winter and wearing lots of layers, horrible storms and getting wet and cold. Going to and returning from work in the dark depresses me.
So a big 'Hello, happy to see you Spring' from me.

Fair do's!

 

[Swifty]

Summer Lite ... LOL ..

 

[rynner2]

I can take or leave Spring because it can't make its mind up ... I'm a Winter person for many reasons ... I hate being too hot ... In the Winter you can add extra layers of clothes but there's only so many layers you can take off in the Summer .. I have blonde hair so like to imagine myself the ancestor of a Viking invader or something that lived in a colder climate

How does that work then? Are you a time-traveller or something?

" my favourite time of year is May because, again, the light breeze coupled with the not to aggressive yet sunshine.."
Your grammar and spelling are doing my head in! And your meteorology is not too accurate either - May is only a month before the summer solstice, so the actual intensity of sunlight is already near maximum for the year. The sun does not get much higher from May to June. (Air and sea temperatures have not usually reached their maximum in May, however, because there is a time lag.) But you're just as likely to get sunburn in May as in July.

 

[Ringo]

I've always been an Autumn person because of my hay fever. Spring is the worst and I hate being outdoors in it. Summer is better but too hot. I prefer the shade. Autumn is glorious. You can be outdoors without boiling or freezing. A scarf and a cup of coffee in hand is the way to go.

Winter is shit especially here in Scandinavia. It goes on forever (like 6 months of the year) and it's dark constantly. With the kids, it's layers and layers of clothes, thermals soggy hats and goves and stinking boots.

Spring is nice in that the days get longer but overall, it's just an attack on my already winter-weakened body.

 

[Swifty]

How does that work then? Are you a time-traveller or something?

" my favourite time of year is May because, again, the light breeze coupled with the not to aggressive yet sunshine.."
Your grammar and spelling are doing my head in! And your meteorology is not too accurate either - May is only a month before the summer solstice, so the actual intensity of sunlight is already near maximum for the year. The sun does not get much higher from May to June. (Air and sea temperatures have not usually reached their maximum in May, however, because there is a time lag.) But you're just as likely to get sunburn in May as in July.

Good morning Rynner ...

I admit my grammar and spelling has slipped a bit over the years. It's scary, because English language and English literature were two subjects I received high grades for back in my school days. I spend most of my time chatting on or moderating American forums so I blame my picking up of bad habits on them mate .. and shit .... As for your meterology information, I know what I like but thanks anyway ...

 

[GeorgeP]

I can take or leave Spring because it can't make its mind up ... I'm a Winter person for many reasons ... I hate being too hot ... In the Winter you can add extra layers of clothes but there's only so many layers you can take off in the Summer .. I have blonde hair so like to imagine myself the ancestor of a Viking invader or something that lived in a colder climate ..... my favourite time of year is May because, again, the light breeze coupled with the not to aggressive yet sunshine ..

Thats pretty much how I see this. I love those frosty mornings with sunlight sparkling along the ground and in the hedgerows,

Spring brightens eveything up again but reminds me that another heatwaved summer is not far behind.

I get hay-fever with various degrees of annoyance each year - so summer is an extra pain for me. Plus the extra number of showers you need due to the heat. Finding it hard to sleep at night, hosepipe bans, those annoying neighbours with their evening garden partys....grrrrrrr

 

[skinny]

I like this kind of thread because I learn more about the concept of the other end of the world from me ie north. Spring here is not when things come to life, but when things start to retreat. Autumn is the greening. Winter is supreme.

 

[Ulalume]

On the contrary...if anything these results already definitely prove my theory that there is MASSIVE self-denial at work! Obviously 'they' have got to you too.

I'm not, by the way, trying to win an argument. I am genuinely curious to know if I am particularly 'unusual' in not being overwhelmed with joy at this time of year.

Hi Andy,

You may not be alone in this - I remember hearing some years ago that depression and suicide rates increase in spring. These may be US numbers though. Spring is always a time when my depression gets worse, even though I'm grateful for the increasing sunlight (though the difference between summer and winter hours of light hardly varies, unlike England) My reasons may apply only to my area of the US though. I'll see if I can explain in a way that makes sense...

In the US, there is a rule of thumb that if winter is brown and summer is green where you live, you are in the east. If winter is green and summer is brown, you are in the west. Where I live, summer is brown, dry, hot as a blast furnace with the drone of cicadas everywhere - I love it. On the other hand, spring is green and wet, grass and weeds shoot up to waist-height no sooner than you turn your back, and underneath it all there is this smell of decay that makes me uneasy. The sense that all this sudden growth is hinting instead at the inevitability of death. Especially if it's drizzling rain and the drip-drip-drip on the roof is the very sound of despair...
(yeah, my depression is always worse in spring and I really can't stand drizzle. )

That said, my daughter (who's lived in England a couple of years now) and some British ex-pat friends have pointed out that typical "British summer-type weather" occurs here in March, and that the sun never feels as hot as it does even in the dead of winter here ( ) so I'm honestly not sure I can imagine what British spring feels like.

 

[Peripart]

And the biggest irony is that those morons are the future generation - stop the world, i want to get off!

Apart from things like the idiots with the bad taste in music who want to drive around and share their crap with the rest of the world at 10mph and 100 decibels, I do honestly like this time of year.

I'm not going to self-diagnose SAD, as such, but I do find the winter awfully depressing. Yes, a nice cold crisp day (and dry, obviously!) is a wonderful time to go for a walk, but I hate driving home in the dark, knowing that I won't be able to do anything useful outdoors in the evening for weeks or months to come. The day the clocks go back must be about my least favourite of the 365, because it makes the dark night come all the quicker, and the day they go forward - well, I won't say it's the best day of the year, but it's a sign, finally, that better days are to come.

And thanks for the last 8 words in that post, George - unwittingly, I'm sure, you've prompted me to get out my old Republica CD! I may put the roof down, turn the volume up, and cruise slowly past a few idiots in clapped-out BMWs!

 

[Monstrosa]

Those who find themselves becoming (more) depressed in Spring may have SAD, there can be a lag in effect between the trough of sunlight hours in winter and the worsening of depression.

 

[GeorgeP]

Well, I like to paint with acrylics and have found that I have a fascination with creating winter scenes. Probably due to my love of Canada...or maybe a past life who knows?

 

[CarlosTheDJ]

And thanks for the last 8 words in that post, George - unwittingly, I'm sure, you've prompted to get out my old Republica CD! I may put the roof down, turn the volume up, and cruise slowly past a few idiots in clapped-out BMWs!

Funnily enough I span that very CD t'other day, it's a lot better than I remembered!

 

[GeorgeP]

Apart from things like the idiots with the bad taste in music who want to drive around and share their crap with the rest of the world at 10mph and 100 decibels, I do honestly like this time of year.

I'm not going to self-diagnose SAD, as such, but I do find the winter awfully depressing. Yes, a nice cold crisp day (and dry, obviously!) is a wonderful time to go for a walk, but I hate driving home in the dark, knowing that I won't be able to do anything useful outdoors in the evening for weeks or months to come. The day the clocks go back must be about my least favourite of the 365, because it makes the dark night come all the quicker, and the day they go forward - well, I won't say it's the best day of the year, but it's a sign, finally, that better days are to come.

And thanks for the last 8 words in that post, George - unwittingly, I'm sure, you've prompted to get out my old Republica CD! I may put the roof down, turn the volume up, and cruise slowly past a few idiots in clapped-out BMWs!

Why not send the younger cavemen morons into a state of confusion and shut down by tuning into radio 4. Now turn up the volume and cruise slowly along, with a serious look on your face. IF any of them do jump out of their tree houses to poke fun, simply show them the finger with a smile and pump-up-da-volume - YEH!

 

[Peripart]

Funnily enough I span that very CD t'other day, it's a lot better than I remembered!

Yes, it's not all "Ready To Go" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (even though they are both great tracks), is it? Just been into Birmingham and back with that CD playing, and Republica are my new sound of spring!