Francine and I love the fall season. It's one of the reasons we got married in October, after all. I'd always thought it had a lot to do with Halloween being in the fall, but it was only after further consideration that I think I know why we love it.
It came to me after reading Lorraine Sommerfeld's Motherlode column in yesterday's Hamilton Spectator, which was titled: "Autumn's knocking and I love it". (And what is it with me taking so much pleasure in reading this column? Based on the title, "Motherlode" is it supposed to be enjoyed more by Mom's than men and Dad's? Not sure, but I can't help but be drawn in by her phenomenal writing skills and be taken with the subjects she choses to write about -- in the past several years her column has been one of my favourites that I have to read every week and which Francine and I often discuss). My buddy Franny writes in a similar honest and open fashion, pulling the reader in and bringing them along for a very enjoyable and often thought-provoking ride.
So I read Lorraine's essay about enjoying the approaching fall, her memories of loving the return to school, and remembered my own thrill at returning to school each fall. As Lorraine mentions, there's the promise of new beginnings, the promise of freshness and new experiences. Ironically, the fall return to school can be seen as a type of spring (at least for nerdy types like Francine and I). I loved back to school, I loved the back to school shopping and I especially loved the new school supplies, the new books, meeting new teachers. When in her article Lorraine mentioned the sense of promise in a new box of Laurentian pencil crayons, I shouted aloud: "Yes, I know that feeling, I know that joy!" I recall the thrill of cracking open a new package of lined paper the way a hopelessly addicted smoker who has been denied a cigarette might peel the celophane off a package of cigarettes. Even walking past the skid of paper in the aisle at Wal-Mart last night I felt hopelessly drawn to it.
What can I say, I'm 100% nerd.
Last Friday at work McMaster University had it's annual welcome day for students and Titles bookstore was abuzz with parents and first year students checking out campus and preparing for the forthcoming school year. And though I love this University and love this new job and love the store and the people here, I can say that Welcome Day was, by far the best day here yet. There was an underlying excitement in the air that brought me back to my own University days, brought back that heightened thrill of "back to school" -- I think I felt 20 years younger all at once just by working the floor and helping out parents and students.
I can only imagine how energized I'm going to be come the first few weeks of September. I think I might overdose on "back to school" bliss
7 comments:
oh man, i'm a real nerd too. the new pencils and crayons always made me happy. nice and pointy and tall, all standing in array.
as for the cereal recipes....my favorite guilty pleasure mix is half count chocula/half frankenberry...mmmmmm
Welcome back to reliving your University years...just that you don't have to worry that you have assignments due left right and centre.
And you get to watch other people panic as you point your finger and laugh at them.........or with them......depends on which end of the stick you want them on...
Mark...You brought back such wonderful memories of the joy & excitement of returning to school in the fall. Indeed it was like a new beginning. I must have been a nerd too!
We did actually start back to school in the fall, in mid September, but nowadays they start the first week in August here. In very hot weather.
I also enjoy reading Franny too. I love her writing, but she has toned it down a bit lately and changed her style. Do you think it's because her husband now has a blog and reads her's?
Franny toned down? This I gotta see . . .
Three chhers for the nerds. We had to help the teachers get over their ending holidays. If all the kids hated goin the teachers may have been suicidal! Of course, I can't say as any teacher that had me didn't end up that way anyhow so maybe that's a double edged sword.
Okay, that's it. I am getting piss drunk tonight and blogging uncensored and whatever gets said, gets said! Prepare yourself for swears and adult situations you never imagined, mwah ha ha!
(FYI, the change in writing style is actually due to the fact that I am now properly medicated. The 'other people' are quieter these days.)
Also, thanks for the brilliant compliment (*blush*)there Mark...I have always kinda wanted Lorraine's job actually!
Who knew I was in such good nerd company?!
For what it's worth, Mark, I didn't name the damned thing Motherlode. But it's been fun to write against expectation from Day One...
Thanks for the kind words.
Post a Comment