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The changing of seasons always brings a sense of rejuvenation and renewal. But depending on the season, that sense of renewal can be extremely short-lived. I’m as amped by the year’s first snowfall as anyone. But by the third one, I’m pretty much ready for spring. Then I get to spring and remember just how overrated a season it actually is. I don’t know how it is in other parts of the country, but springtime in Denver lasts about two weeks before the first wave of stifling heat begins its strangle hold on the city. I’m much more tolerant of summer than winter, but sixty straight days of ninety-degrees or more does absolutely nothing to rejuvenate me.
Fall is a completely different story. Around here, the season lasts almost two months. If it were up to me, it would last ten more. If I were to list all of the reasons why fall is my favorite time of year, this relatively short blog post would become a full-fledged essay. And you didn’t come here to read a full-fledged essay. So what I’ll do instead is list a few of the top reasons why, for me anyway, fall is such a kick-ass season:
- Cloudy days (fall is the only time we seem to have them in Denver)
- Candy corn (have you ever seen anyone eat it in July?)
- November 8th – my wedding day (which makes fall my wife’s favorite season too)
- Halloween (if there is a better holiday, I have yet to celebrate it)
- Pumpkin spice lattes (drinking one in February just isn’t the same)
- Autumn leaves (instantly beautifies any street or sidewalk they fall on)
- ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin Patch, Charlie Brown’ (I’ve seen it every year since 1979)
- Late sunrises, early sunsets (for some weird reason I actually like shorter days)
And last but not least…
- There is simply NO better time to write
After three months of having every reason in the world to be outside, the cool, dreary weather of fall drives me back indoors. It hones my focus, harnesses my energy, and fuels my creativity. I like to think that I’m fairly productive all year round, but I seem to be at my best between mid-September and early November. The creative well is at its fullest, and inspiration touches nearly everything around me.
As I write this, the high temperature is 57 degrees, the air has crispness to it that hasn’t been felt since April, and the sky is filled with dense, gray clouds. In other words, it’s a beautiful day.
I know people who hate the heat of summer, and I know PLENTY of people who hate the cold of winter. But I have yet to meet a single person who says: “You know something? Fall really sucks!”
So here’s to the best two months of the year. Think I’ll celebrate with some candy corn, a spiced latte, a warm blanket, and a really good book.
JOHN HARDY BELL 