September is the new New Year. After summer's space for reflection, you're more likely to put resolutions into action, writes Arminta Wallace
I hate August. It's always bug-ridden, and often grey. It bursts uninvited into the middle of summer, bringing with it a process of irreversible change; and is it just me, or was this year grimmer than most?
After what seemed like months of unfettered sunshine, clouds crept into the sky and a nip into the evenings. A cup of coffee in the garden turned into a non-stop battle against buzzy things and blustery showers. And what was that weird feeling in the feet? Cold, for goodness sake.
For the first time since June, socks put in an appearance in the laundry basket. As the month huffs and puffs to a close, early-onset autumn has turned into the full-blown Monty.
Mammies - and indeed daddies - are all wrapped up in uniforms, sports gear and book lists in an effort to get reluctant sprogs back into line and back into the classroom.
But once that's done - then what? Do we all just fetch the hot, and preferably alcoholic, drinks and settle ourselves in front of the TV for the winter?
Not quite. It seems that autumn is no longer just the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Somewhere along the line September became the new New Year: a time, not just for making resolutions, but for actually doing something about them.
"Look at the number of people signing up for evening courses, joining gyms - even in the world of therapy, come September we immediately get loads of people back on our books. So it's happening right across the board," says psychotherapist Trish Murphy.
Surprisingly, perhaps, autumn is a particularly suitable season for new beginnings. The start of the new academic year provides the sense of a clean slate just begging to be written on, while the evenings are still long enough - and the weather mild enough - to make throwing oneself into some new activity an appealing rather than a punitive option.
Having New Year at this time of year is not, in any case, a particularly new phenomenon. In the ancient world, September was the traditional time for reflection and resolutions.
The Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah, which marks the first day of the Jewish year, falls on September 22nd. As the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the festival invites humankind to look back at our sorry past and to muse a little on what we might do to make the future better.
Which is, pretty much, what most of us do come this time of year - albeit on a smaller scale.
"Summer gives people space to do a bit of reflection," says Murphy. "They tend to get out of their routine a little bit and look at what changes they need to make in their lives. Then when they get a routine going again, they can implement those changes. I think it's genuinely about having the space to see what your life needs. In the summer, you get a small opportunity to see the long-term picture.
"So, for example, if you're away on holiday, or if you're not mad busy at work, you might find yourself thinking, 'Look, I need to be getting out of this job at some stage.' So then you say, 'Well, how am I going to do that?' And you might need to up your credentials, or whatever. So you enrol in a course which will give you a chance to get your head up."
No need to fear the long winter evenings if you've signed up for a course in - to open the Dublin's Evening Classes handbook at random - community radio, herbal medicine, rock climbing or the history of European painting. And as Bairbre Fleming, director of adult education at University College, Dublin points out, evening classes aren't what they used to be.
Of the 5,000-odd people who register for adult education classes at UCD every year, many opt for the "traditional" type of subjects such as history, literature and music appreciation. Others are accumulating credits on a part-time basis, or taking access courses which will allow them to get into college later.
"And of course there are the interest learners," she says, "many of whom would never have considered going on a university course a few years ago. We have one student who just got a certificate in archaeology with us. He's 89. So it really is very, very varied - and that mix of people is bringing a new dynamic to the campus as well, which is great."
This year, among the many courses on offer at UCD, you'll find "Conspiracy Theories" and "Fairy Tales in Contemporary Culture". And did I imagine it, or is there a course in forensic psychology? "Oh, yes," says Fleming. "Forensics is the new sex. At least, that's what they say - apparently more TV programmes now open with a dead body than with a romance. I don't know what that says about the world but if you judge by the level of interest we're getting in courses which involve forensics, I fear it may be true."
If people take all kinds of courses for all kinds of reasons, however, the one common denominator is that they don't want to sit in a classroom being lectured at. The big buzzword in adult education these days is interactivity. "People want to be engaged - they want to get out and do things," says Fleming. "So, for instance, instead of somebody lecturing you about Dublin, we do 'The Walks and Talks of Dublin', where people actually go on walks around the city to see the things they've been told about. We're also doing a new course this year with the National Library, based around the Yeats exhibition."
Murphy agrees that the desire to take part is vital, but for those who are contemplating change of any kind in their lives, she also counsels patience.
"For many of us now, life is about instant gratification. We expect results very quickly. But it's important to be realistic. Discipline literally means 'to follow'.
You have to follow a path to get to somewhere; you can't just jump from one to 10. You have to do it step by step. You also need to know yourself and what motivates you. For some of us, that means telling friends and recruiting somebody to do it with us. For others, it might be to reward themselves at the end of every successful week, whether it's with a chocolate cake or a trip to the movies."
Now she's talking. But there's a down side to all this talk of new beginnings. For some people, change may involve a very unpalatable decision indeed - such as marital separation. "As a systemic psychotherapist who works with individuals, couples and families, I notice that people separate at this time of year," says Murphy. "It happens more than you'd imagine - and it's very tough for all concerned."
she's talking. But there's a down side to all this talk of new beginnings. For some people, change may involve a very unpalatable decision indeed - such as marital separation. "As a systemic psychotherapist who works with individuals, couples and families, I notice that people separate at this time of year," says Murphy. "It happens more than you'd imagine - and it's very tough for all concerned."
Murphy is adamant, however, that a switch of focus can help people cope with even the most serious or demanding situation.
"I work in conjunction with a small Irish company called PSM," she says. "We run all kinds of courses from communication to stress management - but they're all positively orientated. The idea is to change. Most of us feel that's hard work, but in fact it doesn't have to be.
You don't have to torture yourself. If, instead, you can see the potential in yourself - then it's an awful lot easier."
Kids Stuff
With the school-year looming, parents are looking for extracurricular activities for their children. Many parents rely on word of mouth to find the best places for learning music, dance and playing sport.
And if you haven't already got friends whose children are involved in a particular activity, it can be difficult to judge the quality of the activity before you sign your child up.
Miriam Hegarty, mother of three children aged 11, 5 and 2, had just this problem. She discovered that even finding the number to call for, say, rugby coaching, could be challenging. So she and her business partner, Aoife Kelly, decided to create Kidsevents, which will be launched in Dalkey on Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, at the Cuala GAA Grounds, 11am-6pm. Parents and children will be able to visit stands for a variety of activities, such as classical music lessons, French lessons, karate, rugby, dance and art as well as the traditional GAA.
Kids will even be able to try out some of the activities. Meeting the people involved in running activities, such as Scouting and Girl Guides, is reassuring for parents who have heard about them but would like to know more, Hegarty says. Among those taking stands at the fair will be the Dún Laoghaire Music Centre, the Dance Theatre of Ireland, Rachel Goodes Ballet School, Tiggys Art school, the Dún Laoghaire Fitness Centre, Yoga for Kids and Fitzpatricks Hotels Teen Fit programme.
Kelly and Hegarty are also launching a website, with information on activities up and down the country. They chose to hold their first exhibition in Dalkey, limiting the activities to the south-side Dublin area. They hope that the exhibition will make planning activities easier for parents, while also reassuring parents about the quality of the classes provided. Only reputable organisations, working in the area for many years, will be represented at the exhibition, which is free.