It's official: February is the worst month.
“February is the worst month of the year.” It is a statement that is hard to argue with, right? These wise words may be how we are all feeling now that we are a little over halfway through the month, but we're here to show respect for Kevin Killeen, who publicly uttered the sentiment for KMOX Radio in St. Louis, Missouri.
Killeen's downtrodden speech about the shortest (and somehow longest) month of the year, was written and recorded for his Whole ‘Nother Story AM radio segment back in 2016. The segment has been a favorite for St. Louis listeners since its inception in January, 2003. And after hearing the reporter’s astute and often dryly funny words, it is very easy to see why.
"February is the worst month of the year. But it's an honest month. It's a month that doesn't hold up life any better than it really is. Look around here. These buildings, they look like they don't even have any lights in them during a work day. Something great happened here. But it's over with and that's the way February is."
The greyness of the city's landscape in the clip really says it all. Kevin Killeen goes on to show viewers proof of his statement, from the weary-looking pedestrians who seem to be dragging their feet through life, to discarded umbrellas that evoke our discarded dreams, and finally to the starkness of the trees who seem naked (and not in a good way) without their leaves. After making us all feel a bit worse about our seasonal station, the reporter kindly leaves us with a relevant - and hopeful - saying from his father.
"My father used to have a saying. If you can live through February, you can live another year."
The whole video, like the month of February, is honest. And every year it weasels its way back onto screens in St. Louis. This year, however, the video managed to become a national sensation. Maybe it's because this is the worst February to date. Because some days it feels like it. The real reason is that the relatable clip went viral on Twitter earlier in the month.
Seems the sentiment is pretty damn universal.
After the video had made the rounds, Kevin Killeen himself chimed in with a tweet, acknowledging the unity of people who experience this type of February feel.
Once again, he give us some hope.