The Final Stretch Immani Love

THE FINAL STRETCH

It’s finally here!

The Final Stretch of the year! Now I know what some of you may be thinking…” But Immani, it’s only November!” Yes, I know, but there’s something you may not realize or for whatever reasons, may not acknowledge. November is the beginning of the end. The end of hurricane season for us Floridians, the last days of Autumn, the last month of layaway shopping for the holidays, and unfortunately, the end of rational thinking for most of us. Although October “officially” (if that’s such a thing) marks the beginning of “cuffing season,” it’s November when it’s in full swing and likely to be one of your primary points of focus for the next few months and where the lapses in judgement prevail. I’m no expert…anymore, (*refers back to her “Ask Dr. Love” column and chuckles) but it has come to my attention that during these months as the leaves turn colors in some places, and the trees shed their skin preparing to suffer the brutality of winter in preparation of being reborn as vibrant breath givers in the spring, we as humans gravitate to other beings in search of shelter from the cold. We seek warm hugs, long embraces, deep conversations, and hot sex, not necessarily in that order. As such, this is typically where all sense of logic goes out of the proverbial window, and we become pawns to our emotions and succumb to pure lust. Don’t worry lovers, thankfully it is in most cases, a case of temporary insanity and in the eyes of the average passerby, looks perfectly normal. No one notices how you’ve started to finish each other’s sentences or how quickly you text back when they message you. No one pays attention to the fact that you are suddenly unavailable for the previously scheduled weekly session of “what are we wearing to the happy hour that never ends” and are for some reason too “busy” for the unfortunate soul who didn’t quite luck out in the “cuffing season lottery.” (I mean after all those tickets were scarce and very expensive!) You seem perfectly sane when purchasing matching pajamas (or even worse, onesies,) for you and your “Boo,” “Baby,” or “Bae” depending on what part of the country you reside. No one will even blink an eye when you change your profile pic to one of you and your aforementioned, holding hands, while wearing said ensemble, clutching your pet who of course has been wrestled into its own color coordinated costume to match.

BY IMMANI LOVE

Most recently, the truest form of seasonal temporary insanity, is the TikTok of you and your partner, dancing to 414BigFrank’s “BackPack” with the caption, “When the haters ask, who you wit?” Sadly, oftentimes, in that matching outfit. <sigh> Not to worry my friends. The key word in my previous statements is “temporary,” because right around mid-January to early February, one of two things will have happened. One, you have begun to come to your senses and realize that it was purely physical and that you really didn’t like the way that they chewed gum, not chewed, popped, and since decided that a hot toddy, a warm blanket, and cuddles from your pet whom after you have apologized profusely to for your behavior and burned the coordinated monstrosities, finally will allow you near them. You’ve repented for your foolish ways and head into February with your head held high, knowing you won’t have to buy them anything for Valentine’s Day. Or two, you acknowledge that although the TikTok may have taken it a bit too far, you are indeed invested in this being, that during your deep conversations you’ve found real common goals and interests, and the reason you finish each other’s sentences or that they know what you want or need before you say it is because they actually listened to you. They complement you and compliment you. They are no longer a distraction but a welcomed interaction. They match your energy not just your outfits. You are well on the way to regaining your sanity and along with it a partner outside of cuffing season. My hope for you is the latter, after all, we are in the final stretch and all’s well, that ends well.

Contributed by: Immani Love She/Her @ImmaniLove