I normally sit down to write these columns on Monday evenings, but after Labor Day (which is my fourth-favorite holiday, after my birthday, Christmas Eve, and April Fools’) I have since decided to type out my ramblings much earlier, as part of my newly-created “September reset”.

This is partially because I now have a larger audience for my work; my colleague Paul, editor of the Effingham Herald, has now requested to syndicate my work in his paper’s print edition, which comes out a day earlier on Wednesdays. I’m not entirely sure what he sees in my columns, which are often as coherent as an iPhone’s Auto-Correction. But nevertheless I am flattered, and I hope that readers in Effingham County and thereabouts take a liking to my columns and the things I discuss/complain about, which include but are not limited to: seasonal allergies, gel pens that smudge my left hand, insurance co-pays, double texters, soccer player Bruno Fernandes, the precarious future of the human race and planet Earth due to political and technological malfeasance, and white denim.

Besides filling space in the paper, I like writing and sharing these columns because it reminds me of school. Typing my half-baked ideas out on a deadline is basically a homework assignment.

I mean, my regular work reminds me of school a bit too, but there are some key differences; I don’t have to raise my hand to go to the restroom, and I have my own mini-fridge in the office. I can also order takeout for lunch if I want, without the vice principal confiscating my personal pan pizza (This never happened to me in high school, but other classmates of mine befell similar fates through using DoorDash during free periods).

And also, September feels like in many ways a new start to the year. So many of us associate it with the beginning of the school year anyway, with all of the back-to-school shopping many families go through, plus the sleep schedule adjustments and busier morning commutes. But even if you’re not in school or have loved ones who are, why not take September as a month to try new things and give your life a reset? I think it’s a lot better than waiting until January, when it gets so cold I pretend I like wearing turtlenecks.

*** Song of the Week - So Many Ways (feat. POisON GiRL FRiEND) by Kiss Facility Speaking of Paul from Effingham, I am thankful to him for indirectly leading me to this song.

Last week, during our company’s regular Editors’ Meeting, conducted via Teams, we had time to chat about our favorite artists. He correctly deduced that I am very much stuck in the 90s, with bands like Lush, Elastica, and Catherine Wheel on heavy rotation on my phone. In turn, one of the artists Paul listed from his music library was POisON GiRL FRiEND, the alias of Noriko Sekiguchi, a singer-songwriter and producer from Japan.

This song is actually a collaboration between POisON GiRL FRiEND and a music group called Kiss Facility, formed between Emirati-Egyptian singer Mayah Alkhateri and Irish-Chilean producer Salvador Navarrette, who also goes by the name Sega Bodega. “So Many Ways” is sung in Arabic, with some English interspersed throughout. The production is stellar, making good use of Alkhateri’s haunting vocals and acoustic guitar strumming to create a very atmospheric tune.

Perfect for my earbuds on a muggy September morning. I’ll definitely add more of Kiss Facility’s (and POisON GiRL FRiEND’s!) music to my playlists moving forward, for sure.

Andrea Gutierrez is the editor of the Bryan County News.