Editorial: October

editorial-fi

“I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” so said Anne of Green Gables. We agree. It happens to be our favorite month too. It is the perfect transition month between the last days of summer and the beginning of the descent into winter.

Yes, we have personally turned off the national news, our state budget crisis and politics for a bit. We need a reboot to remember that there are good things happening too. And we get the sense that many others do as well.

If you are a sports fan, there is no better month. Postseason baseball is in full swing. The NFL has kicked off. And the USA Men’s National soccer team is trying to score a spot in the World Cup. There is no shortage of opportunities to spend the weekend watching your favorite teams compete. Even the Yankees seem to be showing some postseason promise.

For us, however, October is not about what we do inside, but out. It seems like our family spends more time outside in October than almost any other month. Our internal clocks sense the approaching winter, and the coming months inside, so if the weather is nice we sprint to take advantage of it.

On a moment’s notice we might call an audible and have everyone in the family grab a book and escape to our favorite place in town overlooking Long Island Sound. The sea grasses are just beginning to take on golden hues from the cool night air and the trees on the islands are creating a kaleidoscope of colors. A little time with a book instead of an electronic device is a good thing.

There is something magical about Greenwich in October. Mother Nature takes her time as she paints her masterpiece of maples, oaks, walnuts, and hickories (to name a few) beginning their metamorphosis from summer greens to winter hibernation. The process is ever changing and unfolding over the next month. Take time to visit the Audubon, or drive from the backcountry to the shoreline and witnesses them for yourself as you look over the fields and woods.

The air feels different; crisper, cleaner as well. It no longer has the oppression of summer lethargy. It helps quicken the pace and our desire to accomplish more outdoors. The days have shortened dramatically which also adds to our want to do more. If this were the 1800s, we imagine we would be feverishly putting up preserves and provisions to carry us through the winter.

Because the air is so filled with smells it feels charged with anticipation. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby: “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” In a sense, that is true. As we approach the end of the year it is only natural that we are beginning to plan for the holidays and what the New Year will bring. We want to hold onto October a bit more first. We will leave the planning for November and beyond.

The quote above from Anne of Green Gables continues: “it would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill – several thrills?” There is plenty of time to plug back in and stress about what is happening in the world later. For now, enjoy October and all she offers. Have a thrill. Have several thrills.

Related Posts
Loading...