There is a nip in the air this morning, although not nearly as much of a nip as northern Minnesota had yesterday (apparently there was snow in International Falls, that most glacial of spots in the continental US). I have been thinking more and more about the coming of fall and my own various reactions to seasonal changes in my life. For the most part, I have enjoyed especially the early months of autumn. Growing up in the valley formed by the confluence of the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers five miles south, I can appreciate now even more than I did then the stunning view of miles upon miles of hills of red and yellow trees. Fall was also the time that signaled, in childhood into early adulthood, the onset of a new school/college/seminary year. While enjoying summer vacations immensely, by mid-August I was usually bored and ready for a return to something like the normal life of the variety of scheduled activities school brought (although I will admit I was never a great one for homework).
In my early- to mid-20's however, I for some reason convinced myself that I much preferred summer over autumn, and that autumn was a gloomy, cheerless time. I have always been a bit susceptible to what has since become known as "Seasonal Affective Disorder", and what (I believe it was) my mother referred to as "The Winter Blahs". I have never been fond of the reduced hours of sunlight; by late December, with sunlight fading by 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, I am more than ready for the return of spring. This went on for a while until I remembered that there is more to both autumn and winter than the shortening of the days.
With children in school, and a renewed adherence to an antiquated school schedule, I am once again returning to thoughts about the joys, different but no less substantial, of autumn. Summer, no less now than in my childhood and youth, does certainly have its wonders and joys, but the excessive heat, the lack of structure, and the creeping boredom of a lack of outside stimulus all make me welcome, again, the coming of fall and winter.
Consider this an opportunity to reminisce and offer your own feelings on the declining months of the year.
Virtual Tin Cup
