“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!”
-Percy Bysshe Shelley
The arrival of Fall hails the consequent arrival of obligatory autumn events.
In our town, we celebrate the First Friday of every month with a block party in the downtown square. These nostalgic evenings play tribute to the charm of small town America, and though they begin in March, I find the most joy in attending in the early Fall. Something about the emergence of end-of-summer scarves, cooling breezes, and school-starting excitement just gets to me.
This is perhaps because there are few things more enjoyable than the chance to wear a cozy scarf.
And of course, as the evening sun of summer fades, the stadium lights of high school and college fields alike begin to brighten the twilight. Come Thursday and Friday nights, John and I may even spot the beams from the high school down the road, the firework display with every touchdown. Not fireworks at all games, but they do occasionally make an appearance. We take touchdowns seriously.
For John and me, autumn celebrations bring expected fun fall activities and unexpected opportunities to get to know one another.
Because we live in the town of my upbringing, I am able to share with him the greatest memories of my youth, and find a new joy in experiencing familiar events with him. Sitting on the same bleacher where I cheered on my high school team, I am able to hold hands with the man with whom I share my life, fulfilling some small part of the American dream.
