If February is the shortest month on the calendar, January must be the longest.

It’s an endless time that crushes New Year’s resolutions before they’ve even gotten off the ground.

Maybe it’s because we still have fewer than 10 hours of daylight. That’s true in December as well, but those days tend to fly by as we rush to get ready for the holidays.

January has but one holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and a lot of people have to work that day anyway.

January is the Monday of the calendar. Speaking of Mondays, did you know this month has FIVE of them?

That’s right, Jan. 31 falls on a Monday.

There is a meme that basically says, “30 days have September, April, June and November, all the rest have 31, except January, which has 273” (or whatever ridiculous number you prefer).

For me, one of the few bright spots about the first month is the ability to start a new calendar for the year. I love going through last year’s calendar, and reminding myself of important events that happened along the way.

It’s kind of like a complicated resolution. Like any resolution, stating it out loud, or putting it on paper, makes it that much harder to break.

There is nothing that says this activity has to take place in January. I probably could have bought a 2022 calendar months ago. I also could have reused a calendar from 2011, 2005 or 1994.

I spend as much time on my phone and computer as anyone, but I need a paper calendar. Siri is great for reminders, but nothing compares to having everything organized in front of you.

Luckily the company that delivers coal to the house I rent feels the same way. I look forward to them dropping off a calendar each December.

The process involves going through last year’s calendar and writing down events that will repeat in 2022.

The same with friends’ birthdays. I am terrible at remembering them. Putting them down on the calendar at the beginning of the year hopefully helps me avoid the embarrassment I feel when one passes without me noticing.

This year, I’m doing the same thing for the things I want to do on my own time, whether it’s concerts, festivals or charity bike rides. In 2021, those events I took for granted felt more important than ever. So the calendar includes the Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival (April 22-24), the Tough Like RORR motorcycle race (July 3-4), and the “It was 50 Years Ago Today” Beatles tribute supergroup at Penn’s Peak (March 12).

By no means is the calendar finalized. I know that there are plenty of events happening around the area that aren’t on my calendar that should be.

I’d be happy to add your event to my calendar in 2022. If you think it is something that should be covered in the paper, or it’s just a fun weekend event, email me at creber@tnonline.com.

I can’t promise to get to every one. If I don’t, I’ll have to deal with the guilt like so many whose New Year’s resolutions didn’t make it through January.