My favorite season – summer. I can be happy forever too warm and in sunshine and wearing very little loose clothing. Oh, and peaches and tomatoes and corn and did I mention sunshine?
But there’s something to be said for the fall, and that’s the crunch of things under my feet.
One of my favorite repeated childhood memories is of crunching fallen leaves. I viscerally recall walking through Barrytown or Belvedere – where, I guess, most of my fall walks in nature occurred; there weren’t that many leaves in the East Village – I can hear and even feel the crunch. It makes me smile.
It also makes me smile as I walk down the street in the town where I now live, and I stretch and shorten my steps to crunch all of the fallen seedpods on the ground. It’s sad when I’ve walked and crunched down the same block so often that none of the seedpods respond to my footfall. And thrilling – yes thrilling – when I find one that does.
Some things you never outgrow. And some things I see no reason to outgrow.
I know that crunching leaves and seedpods makes me feel young and playful. It makes me smile. It makes my mood better. It brings joy to my today, and brings me joyful memories of the past. And it’s so damn simple.
Some things you never outgrow.
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