Autumn is the Monday of seasons

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By Nikki Jamieson
Taber Times
njamieson@tabertimes.com

The week the seasons officially change is always a bittersweet one.

On one hand, you know something new is around the corner, but on the other hand, you lose so many things with the last season. So while you know there is good things coming, you kind of don’t want it to come.

These feelings of discontent are amplified in the case of summer becoming autumn. Summer is the fun season. Summer is sunshine, beaches, vacation, ice cream and friends. Summer is patio parties, drinks with umbrellas and laughter. Summer is the season you can enjoy no matter your age, whether you are in school, working or retired, because summer promises freedom and no responsibilities.

Autumn, on the other hand… not so much.

The moment calendars flip to Sept. 1, reality comes crashing back down around us, in a more then slightly unpleasant sort of way.
The days of fun, sun and freedom are numbered; it’s back to school, back to work and back to responsibility. After three months of being giddy and carefree, all of those things you’ve put off suddenly need to be done right this moment.

Your hard earned money that once brought you tickets to an amusement park? They’re now for buying textbooks. Your hikes through the park? Now you’re scaling a mountain of assignments (all due Friday, just because). Your days of sleeping in? Don’t make me laugh.

Autumn is the Monday of the seasons; often inconvenient, at the end of a break and jarring. There is a reason why they call it Fall, and it’s not because of Daylight Savings; it’s more like a fall on the face type of wake-up call.

This tends to make the season — at least the start of it — more then slightly depressing. One minute you are skipping down the street, practically singing under the sun, the next you’re cooped up at a desk, paperwork piling up as the sun slowly starts setting earlier and earlier and earlier, until by the time quitting time rolls around, it is completely dark outside.

And to top it off, it’s getting too cold to drown all your sorrows in a pint of cookie dough.

But at the same time, so many wonderful things come with autumn.

Yes, it’s getting colder, but the trees change colours before your eyes, and really, who hasn’t indulged themselves by jumping into a leaf pile? Yes, it’s back to work/school, but this is a chance to get that ‘A’ in math/biology/film studies/art class, or for you to just totally crush that project. Short weather may be out, but sweaters are in, and just because you can’t enjoy freezies outside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some hot apple cider or, better yet, tea.

True, there is my personal scourge of pumpkin spice scented/flavoured everything, but everyone else seems to like it, so maybe that’s a good thing, right?

With autumn comes Thanksgiving — aka, the Big Giant Excuse to eat a lot and not be judged — and perhaps the most epic holiday of them all, Halloween. After all, what other holiday gives you chocolate, candy, black cat decor, light-up sparkly skeletons and provides you with the most perfect excuse to scare your boss by dressing up as a clown (no worries I’m just kidding… or am I?)?
It does suck that summer is ending, and that the brief period of fun-in-the-sun is gone for about another 272 days. But it’s an excuse to break out the fluffy blankets and your favourite mug once again. Besides, the end of summer also means the end of mosquito season, sun waking you up at 6:00 a.m., sunburns and sweltering heat — all the things we had dreaded when spring ended.

And if that doesn’t help you, remember this; winter is coming in three months, or the days of total darkness, snow storms and shoveling. Doesn’t autumn seem delightful now?

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