Defending Autumn

Everyone has a favorite season for one reason or another. I personally find all the seasons appealing in their own ways, but autumn is by far my favorite one. Winter has its amazingly fun sports; Spring has its new beginnings; and hot Summer days paired with cool water are almost unbeatable. But Autumn is always magical for me: the sound of crunching leaves; the smell of wood burning; the sight of bright, dying leaves; the taste of a fresh harvest; and the touch of a slight chill in the crisp air.

We can officially welcome Autumn back into our lives this week. Some of you may dislike the season, and others may love it like me, but whether you like it or not, it’s here. The thing I like most about Autumn is that change is most evident, much like Spring, but less muddy. Leaves explode with color as birds fly south overhead. Fields are harvested and small rodents run about stocking up on any grain or seeds that may have fallen to the ground. The cooler temperatures force woodland creatures closer to the valley floors and people to tinker about with furnaces that require tender love and care to make it through one more winter.

Autumn is a breath of cool, fresh air after a hot, dry Summer, but many people only see it as a precursor to a bitter Winter. Since Winter is my next favorite season, I have absolutely no problem with the fact that Autumn is easing us into freezing temperatures. I consider a little early snowfall a bonus during the Fall months, especially when it happens in September. Plus it’s always nice to pull out your warm clothes from last year and discover that twenty-dollar bill you put in your pocket and forgot about. Cha-ching! You’re suddenly rich! And if you’re anything like me, you love wearing jackets, because it’s too much effort to iron any of your wrinkly shirts and the jacket hides the wrinkles perfectly.

I have purposefully left the best part about Autumn for last, and that is: Football! Whether your son is in the Little League or playing for the high school team, or you’re following your favorite college or NFL team, football consumes the lives of millions of Americans every year, and for a few good reasons, too. One, football snacks and foods (i.e. chips and salsa, grilled items, etc.) are better than any other sports foods (compare against baseball’s hotdogs). Two, men are able to vent frustration by watching their favorite players demolish the opposition, and women can enjoy the parade of men in tights and seemingly-muscle-enhancing padding.

And finally three, it’s the best excuse in the world why you can’t rake up leaves or go chop the head off a turkey anytime between Thursday through Monday. I mean seriously, there’s always a good college game on Thursday, the local high school game on Friday is a community tradition, Saturday is jam-packed with back-to-back action, the NFL dominates Sunday, and then for good measure, there’s some random NFL game on Monday too. “Sorry, honey. Work around the house has got to wait until either Tuesday or Wednesday. Any other day is just plain out of the question. Gotta be able to keep up with the guys at work, you know. Doing research and stuff. All about football. Otherwise they’ll call me names and make fun of me and then I’ll come home and take it out on you and the kids and the dogs…”

As you can see, there are many things that make life magical during the Autumn months. But don’t take my word for it. Pack up your five senses and go use them in the coming days. Observe all the wonderful changes happening right before your eyes while you gather red, yellow, orange and mauve leaves to decorate your home with, but make sure you’re home by seven to catch the big game!