The Awesomeness of Autumn...

A couple years ago on this blog, I posted about my favorite season of the year: Fall. (And honestly, that post wasn't my best writing. Forget I mentioned it.) Well, it's that time of year again, and despite all the issues I'm currently having, I'm still taking the time to enjoy Autumn in New England. In my previous post, I spoke about the perfection of the weather during Fall (not too cold, not too hot, and not too rainy), but that's not the only reason I enjoy this season more than any other. There are many other reasons.

I've spent the bulk of my life in cities and other urban areas. This gives me a unique appreciation for nature, both its savagery and it's beauty, which forms the core of my admiration for the Fall. Just look at the trademark sign of the Fall: the turning of the leaves. It looks so beautiful, watching as the leaves transition from green to red to yellow, and then finally to brown. But, what's happening is the tree's leaves are all dying. What looks so beautiful to the human eye is the signal for the leaves internal systems shutting down and dying off as the trees that used to harbor and sustain these leaves cut them off and hunker down for the winter.

Kind of messed up, right?

Now, I know the cycle doesn't end there: the leaves fall to the earth below, and then add essential nutrients to the soil which keeps the tree alive for next year as well as spread seeds for more trees to grow. I know that. Currently, I'm living in a more rural area of New England, which gets me up close and personal with the cycles of Fall. So, I know that the cycle doesn't stop. But, right now, in this moment, people are commenting on the beauty of death and destruction. And I have to say, it is beautiful. It really is. Beautiful and savage. But that seems to be Mother Nature's gig. With the Fall, she just does it with more subtlety and finesse.

As a closing note, I just recently found another reason why I like the Fall. Due to the necessities of modern life, I find it essential to have certain items with me all the time: keys, wallet, mobile phone, etc. Given the intense heat of summer, it's extremely uncomfortable to accomodate those items the way I normally do: in the pockets of my jacket. But now, as the temperatures drop, I can wear my jacket again!! I have multiple POCKETS again!!! I can carry stuff easily again!!