Connotations

Miles Winzeler

“Autumn Connotations”

The transformation of summer to autumn is the most dramatic change of the seasons. It takes essentially one day for nature to shift itself so rapidly. Whether it is early September or mid October, there is always one day when one walks outside and is blindsided by all of the emotions and memories that go hand-in-hand with the fall. And while most feel that autumn truly takes place when the tree lines are decorated in brilliant fiery flavors, the scent and sounds are the truest introduction. Perhaps it is something primal within our instincts, but direct exposure to this raw nature provokes a mental shift in many, myself included. This psychological transformation also summons insignificant sights, sounds, and other memories that can be deemed connotations. With no clear reasoning, these ideas and feelings are glued to your consciousness whenever your eyes catch a striking red leaf or inhale a refreshing autumn breeze.

Every season has a new set, a time to reminisce, a different bundle of unintentional ties to your environment; however those tied with autumn feel like they are of fantasy. It could be the colors, or the leaves, needles, and acorns slowly descending to the ground like snowflakes, yet with greater elegance than the cold. Connotations of various natures rush down on the first windy day as pine needles are shot to the ground like hardened rain or fragile hail. One feels faint prods for attention in the back of his memory as he gazes at the first leaf to flutter and plummet to the sidewalk; only to question why that thought resurfaced so abruptly. In time however, the abundance of autumn senses can only overpower your perspicacity and open the floodgates of nostalgia.

When the first gust of autumn catches me off guard, my mind becomes pleasantly cluttered with a handful of irrelevant puzzle pieces. I think of bad movies, the Smashing Pumpkins, and the abandoned fairgrounds. While none of these thoughts have ever been combined in a recollection, they all travel within the autumn leaves, winds, and aromas. I unknowingly catch myself staring out the windows to the extreme color wheel as the song “Daydream” passively pours into my mind, only to chuckle at the relevancy of it. The bold scent of cool autumn composition sets my mind to even bolder imagery of strolling around the empty fairgrounds with friends now gone. I review these past times and wonder if these remembrances will fade, or if they are forever branded to my mind and for whatever reason, these thoughts will emerge from my memory whenever I am lost in the smell of a brisk autumn afternoon. Personally, I will allow autumn to orchestrate my memory and enjoy the subtle smirks that rise to my face when my thoughts are clouded with warm and careless memories.