Feelings of October

I don’t recall many memories of my childhood. The memories I do remember, though, seem to arrive in autumn: the chill of the fall breeze, the many-colored leaves, preparing to free-fall to the ground and repeat the cycle, and the perfect pumpkins from a small farm to carve out faces with friends.

Somehow, fall has always brought a similar comfort every year it came around. The words fall and festive go hand in hand. It almost feels as if fall is the true beginning of the new year.

In October, school starts and almost every sports season begins. Something about the atmosphere in autumn is unlike any other season.

And every season is festive in its own way. Summer comes right before fall and signifies freedom, warm vacation weather, and a season to get away from things for a while. Winter comes after fall, but something about it arrives as dread. 

Spring for me is the most boring. Yes, you get closer to better weather, but the period from March to late April can still be marked by dreary weather.

Fall is the hardest season to critique. The atmosphere of October especially evokes that festive spirit. School is in full swing, but it’s early enough in the year to not get too boring. “Sweater weather” is arguably the most enjoyable and coziest. Halloween also comes up, which is a great addition. 

While the holiday season of winter comes with many decorations and fun activities, there is almost nothing as unique as embracing the evil or scary side of the world by dressing as monsters or decorating entire neighborhoods with Halloween-themed decorations. 

For a long time, Halloween was my favorite holiday. I enjoyed the candy as a kid, but more so the day’s atmosphere. The ordinary, bland houses transition to become haunted and festive.

I enjoyed picking out costumes to scare my friends and the frequent trips to Home Depot, wandering around the store and picking out the most terrifying decorations.

Let’s go back to those first vivid memories. The leaves falling, turning different colors, picking out pumpkins, and enjoying the nice fall breeze, perfect for a cozy sweater. You won’t have any memories this unique in any other season. That’s because October invokes the senses. The first memories on earth for a human will be of their senses, and that’s why October is like no other month. 

It’s the best time of year.