A September Sort of Person
Weekend Reads v. 27.9.2025
This week, I came to terms with a truth I try to deny every year. September always gets the best of me.
The month typically starts with promises of a smooth transition away from the slow haziness of summer and into the electricity that Autumn brings. “You’ll glide out of your poolside attire and straight into the brown corduroy trousers of the season without so much as a fuss,” September declares as the weather still pledges allegiance to August.
And then September pivots, as she always does, to come down on you in all her fury. The hurricanes begin to spin in after their long trip across the Atlantic. Those must-have brown corduroy trousers look horribly unflattering on you. The calendar piles up with all the lunch meetings and playdates and doctors’ appointments you put off while you were drunk on summer. September is not about long, lazy days. No, she is marching you straight to the front door of a most productive Autumn because the dead of winter will soon be here. She has a job to do, and you’re coming along whether you like it or not.
Hard as I try, September and I are not compatible. I suspect we have always been at odds. Even in utero I seemed to have this aversion to September. Of my own free will I opted to defy the doctor’s predictions and chose to make my arrival into the world more than a week ahead of schedule, forever tethering me to August instead of to September. (Sorry ‘bout that, Mom!)
You could say this is a classic case of me – knowing full well what September is like and still finding myself surprised when the month doesn’t go the way I pictured. What was it Maya Angelou said about believing people the first time they show you who they are? September has proven her character to me for a handful of decades, and yet I still fall back on believing the hopeful narrative I’ve created about her.
How much more dreadful it is when this weak character trait of mine shows up in relationships with people!
This character flaw reared up at the start of this week when I had a meeting with a large group of people. As I scanned the list of attendees, a sense of dread fell over me. More than one person in this meeting had shaped up to be a September sort of person in my life.
It’s clear to me that I have been and perhaps always will be naturally at odds with a September sort of person. The scenario is frequently the same: the relationship begins with such promise and connection only to unravel into what it was all along – transactional and serving some specific purpose for them. I look back to see the same hallmarks replay with each September sort of person in my life, mainly in that they operate with a clearer view of what they want from our relationship than I do. A person described as quirky, emotional, and in possession of “toddler energy” is not one to strategically approach other people. No, I frequently over deliver, overextend, and over share, all of which leaves me feeling that familiar embarrassed-slash-disappointed unease that landed on me ahead of that meeting with the September sort of people.
Just as September lures you out of August with promises of new routines and shiny new tools designed to instantly flip your playbook from lazy to productive, the September sort of person brings me a promise of a constructive and beneficial partnership. But the month plays out, and that beneficial partnership turns hectic and overbearing as it benefits one side of the partnership more than the other.
Why can’t I ever get this August-to-September rhythm right? I think I found the answer at the close of that meeting that filled me with dread.
Just as August figures out a way to forever be adjacent to September, it is on me to navigate life with the September sort of person. To do this, I must never forget that I am an August sort of person with my long days marked by possibility and wanderlust. Each time I am annoyed at the September sort of person, I must recognize I likely drive them crazy with my tendency to sometimes plan ahead and sometimes plan as I go. To linger longer than the day’s schedule instructs. To lack any hesitation when it comes to wading into emotion. To fold people into my life without a specific goal in mind.
September’s nearly gone, so her ability to catch me off guard will also soon be gone. While I sure will be glad to see the backside of the month (!), it’s important that I hold onto the lessons this particular month has given me. And maybe find some October sort of people to hang out with.
If you are in charge of comms for an organization or group, these tips from The Marketing Memo on how to communicate after a tragedy may be helpful.
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Without fail, if there is a museum exhibit full of ancient jewelry or clothing I will make a beeline to it. Clothing and jewelry can say so much about people and culture. And this article about how evolutionary psychology explaining fashion teased out some of the lessons to be learned by studying historical clothing and jewelry.
“Humans have a fascination with fashion, as best summed up by the psychologist George Sproles: “Psychologists speak of fashion as the seeking of individuality; sociologists see class competition and social conformity to norms of dress; economists see a pursuit of the scarce; aestheticians view the artistic components and ideals of beauty; historians offer evolutionary explanations for changes in design. Literally hundreds of viewpoints unfold, from a literature more immense than for any phenomenon of consumer behavior.” To be fair, humans do not have “natural” ornaments like tails or antlers to display their quality. They also do not have much in the way of fur, armor, or feathers to protect their bodies or to regulate temperature, so “adornment” in the form of clothing was necessary for survival. However, humans have spent millennia fashioning and refashioning what they wear, not just according to climate or condition, but for status, sex, and aesthetics.” (Source)
My grandfather would have gotten a kick out of seeing metal recycled into all these glorious home goods.
Zara’s Home collection is enjoying an Autumn upgrade, and now I want to revamp my entire life to accommodate the vibe these tablecloths and glasses give.
I’m working on gift guides for you. Are there any people in your life you might need help finding holiday gifts for this year? Let me know, and I’ll see if I can round up a list of ideas for you.
There are two Amazon Affiliate links in this post. If you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you kindly if you do make a purchase!
Now, go say a fond farewell to September because October is coming!!