Writings in the Sand

Falling for Autumn - Stop being so stuck up

Everyone loves Autumn. There’s a whole seasonal sub-culture of Autumn worshippers. There are rituals that they engage in to celebrate the changes in the weather - such as sprinkling pumpkin spice on everything they eat, drink or bathe with. Everything except pumpkin, of course, I don’t know many (besides myself) who are interested in eating anything made with actual pumpkins. A large majority of Autumn worshippers are simply anticipating the one day per year that they can play dress-up without seeming weird. It’s tough growing up and being an adult. Sometimes, adults just want to pretend to be someone else and on October 31st, it’s socially acceptable to do so.

And this season worship raises the simple change of the weather and the scenery, to something that has become so revered that it must be called “Autumn” now by everyone, even those of us who grew up calling it “Fall”. There’s a good reason we call it Fall where we live. Things fall. Fall is so simple and descriptive. Look out the window and watch the cascade of colorful leaves falling to the ground. The wind may grab them and twirl them in a frenzied dance as they fall, but fall they must.

I realize that Autumn isn’t the same everywhere. It doesn’t even come at the same time of year everywhere. But here in New England, the fiery festival runs from ‘ember to ‘ember. The first colors appear in September, heralding the beginning of the season. Autumn officially ends in December. But for me, the season is all about the Fall. And, I think that if you are lucky enough to live where the changing of the seasons is so beautiful, so dramatic, and so dependent on gravity, you ought to call it Fall, too.