Glum

– The weather seems to be getting no better. Glowering skies. Wintry showers, turning to sleet on higher ground.
– What can you expect? It is January. This is what January does.
– Well, it could be cold and crisp, with a sprinkling of snow glittering under a gentle winter sun. That would be nicer than constant rain.
– They do say, people who know about these things, that this is the most depressing time of the year.
– They do?
– The New Year festivities are long past; the weather, as you note, is bleak and dispiriting; the credit card bills start landing heavily on the doormat; the summer holidays are far away. That expensive gift you bought yourself for Christmas no longer fits, or has fallen to pieces, or could have been picked up for a fraction of the price in the sales. Need I go on?
– You are not making me feel any better.
– But it must be reassuring to know that your gloominess is not unique to you, but is shared by the majority of the population.
– I don't feel particularly reassured. Especially if I'm surrounded by equally depressed people. I was relying on them to cheer me up.