Autumn Walk

This is the time where the chimneys give off that wood burning smell that makes you feel safe and cozy when you’re outside. Outside wearing that old flannel you found under your bed along with a pair of your dad’s old gloves. You feel that brisk touch of the air on the tip of your nose and around the naked skin right below your neck line. You walk past those friendly neighbors with the black and white cat. They are hanging up a wreath woven with the complexion of autumn. The colors are held together with twine, forming a welcoming circle hanging on the white door. The warm glow of the sun shines down through a canopy of painted leaves; illuminating the path in front of you. Walking down to the local café, you let the sun radiate off your face, making you feel alive. Outside the red apartment, right beside the café, a little girl runs and jumps into a pile of leaves that her dad has raked up. Throwing the leaves up in the air, her dad takes pictures. A perfect fall life. You walk into the café with a smile. As you open the door, a bell makes a welcoming ring to invite you in. The cashier comes to you; you order a tall cup of pumpkin spice tea, the perfect flavor for autumn. You smile and give a tip and wave as you walk out the door. You’re making your way back home with the soothing cup of tea in your hands. Every time you take a sip you appreciate your surroundings more and more, almost like the tea is opening your eyes. Walking along this road you come across a path that you’ve noticed before, but has never been as appealing as it is now. The orange and red tree tops create almost an arch; the trees come together at the top embracing each other’s jubilant colors. Your eyes dance around; from looking at the tree tops, to patches of blue sky, to the pebbles on the dirt path. You look straight ahead, and come to see a house. This house isn’t just a normal neighbor house. It is more like a log cabin, with maybe five rooms in all. The warm light of the fire place is glowing in the windows. The smell of wood burning and apple pie (the kind grandma makes on Thanksgiving) takes over your senses. Out back there is a man, probably around sixty five years old pressing apples to make cider. Four gallons of cider sit on the steps leading up to the deck. Overhead hangs a clothes line with a blue and white checkered picnic sheet. You take a few quite steps back, not wanting to disturb them. You plop down into a comforting pile of leaves. They are living the life of fall. You spread your arms across the pile and lay your head back into the heap. Around you are all colors of brown, you pick out one leaf. It is a green leaf with tips of red; you put it in the pocket of your flannel. As you look up in the sky you see a big bird flying in circles, along with a smaller bird. It must be wonderful to be looking down upon this mural of green, red, yellow, orange, and brown. They fly with a sense of freedom and acceptance. The yearling slowly starts drifting from the path of the bigger bird. Closing your eyes, letting the smell of leaves enter your nose, you think about the yearling flying over the world longing for something new. Longing for change.

Fall is a new beginning, a time for change. This fall, in particular, is my time. Noticing the life of other people; such as the little girl and her dad or the old couple living in the moment. Life of nature; like the leaves changing and falling, pine needles turning brown and flying through the air. Nature ties everything together. It brought the little girl and her dad joy, and a picture to frame. And the old couple seem to base their entire lives around nature. Nature is a beautiful thing that is often ignored. I used to ignore it, and take it for granted. I’ve learned in these past few months that we should base our lives off of it. We should appreciate every aspect of it. Let the smell of campfire swirl into your nose, feel the crisp and cool air wrap its arms around you, and let that cup of tea warm you from the outside in. And let your eyes take in the colors of the squash in the gardens, leaves on the trees, and apples above your head. Embrace nature, embrace fall. Let it make your day; don’t wait for people to make your day. Let nature be, let it live in your soul.