The Forgotten Month

November is the forgotten month.  Sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas, November exists mainly to torment those of us who don't want to rush the Christmas season and who object to hearing Christmas music beginning November 1.

It's time we stood up for the Pilgrims and turkeys.  This is a downtrodden, discriminated-against group being squeezed on both sides.  Witches and goblins on one end, elves and reindeer on the other, both trying to force the Pilgrims and turkeys from their ancestral homeland, November.  When I was in grade school, our bulletin board reflected the seasons.  October had jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, goblins and witches.  When November came, the yellow and black of Halloween were muted to oranges and browns, reds and dull green, to reflect what November is.  Turkeys, horns of plenty, pumpkins without grinning faces and the Pilgrims, in long dresses, buckle shoes and hats stood watch over our classroom.  Maybe, somewhere, a few teachers still do this, but try finding a Pilgrim among the red and green and glitter in almost any store.

So let's OCCUPY NOVEMBER!  Let's take November back and enjoy it for its own sake, not as a prelude to Santa.  Let's do it for the Pilgrims and turkeys.