Third down

Suddenly the media is filled with pigskin news.  Did you ever notice that as summer rusts into fall we have a palette of distractions around us?  To battle the emotional let down from the loss of summer breezes we desperately spin around looking for something new to consume and distract us.  Evolving offerings about us come in a variety of shapes, sizes , and colors.  The sports world gets all abuzz with action and most seem to jump into some football camp, either local or national.  No matter the nation, everyone seems to follow the pattern.  To those that are a bit less sport minded it seems they swiftly go into a trance to either decorate their lodgings for the season or switch their wardrobe to tones of oranges, maroons, and browns.  Youth gleefully returns to school with sleepy but hopeful eyes.  In every venue the concert and stage worlds seem to illuminate as the air chills.  No matter your local climate, the traditions of a chilling autumn dictate an increase in activity.  On top of all of this is a world seemingly caught up in holiday cheer as shoppers dictate the success of our economy in their annual spending spree.  Is it all coincidence that we become so active as the leaves tumble?  It is as if it is "third down with inches to go," and everyone must make that last desperate attempt to score before the chill of winter freezes us into a deep sleep.  Enjoy the season.

September slides by...

Mid-month, and the seasonal change is afoot! We blissfully swirl along enjoying "those hazy lazy days of summer" and suddenly are awakened to reality as the blistering heat of the day gives way to crisp temperatures- first as an oddity mixed into the warm days, but gradually becoming the norm as we accept autumn and its falling leaves, hillsides of color, and the eventual talk of "when will we get our first frost?" Seasonal changes have a way of creeping up on us, as we are so consumed by our day-to-day lives that we seemingly are surprised that it suddenly is fall. Symbolically seasonal changes stir a time of reflection in many of us, as we begin to relate the harvest rusting look to the natural progression of life. Just as our aging creeps up on us, we allow much of what stirs about us to be unnoticed as we lack a global vision in our daily struggles. Not to be feared, we should embrace this comparison between the progression of our lives to the changing seasons, as it can fill us with a newfound understanding of our lot in the grand scheme of things. Every season is amazing in the hills, so why not take the opportunity to become seeped in the brew of life as you "take it all in"- at every stage savor life!

Turn the page to Autumn

Look over at the calender- Heavens! Labor Day already? We move through life consumed by our jobs, handling day to day tasks around the homefront, while our hedonistic distractions keep us filled with that child-like essence of wonder...then the seasons change and we pause to ponder that our lives are like a gust of wind in the hurricane of life. Each of us does our part to fill the pieces of the puzzle of life without pausing to take in the grand scheme of the overall image of civilization. Oddly enough, the changing of the seasons seems to spark a primal drive in us to reflect on what has just passed in the waning days of the old season as we move to adapt to the onslaught of new demands the next season brings to us. It seems that as small towns host their fall festivals it is but an echo of the olden harvest times when people gathered to celebrate-and perhaps more importantly- gather one last time before the onslaught of winter woes. It is almost a subconscience urge within us to mingle while we can and bond in a spirit of celebration and survival in a concerted effort to brace for the forboding winds of change on the horizon. Change keeps us alive, as we embrace a revived approach to making sure our piece of the puzzle of life will fit properly with those sharing the pathway of life. As we turn the page to autumn let's hold hands, snuggle in our sweaters, take a sip of warm cider, and enjoy the fellowship of friends as we move through the days ahead!