Having grown up in the South, my own view of autumn is perhaps slightly different than those who were raised anywhere else in the country -- particularly the Northeast where the changing colors of the leaves are a staple of the stereotypical image of fall. However, the fall I am accustomed to is far different than that. In fact, while most people think of autumn as being ushered in after Labor Day, that crisp air doesn't begin to stick around in Louisiana until at least mid-October. When it does settle in though, there simply is not a better time to be in Louisiana. It's a season of subtleties and my personal favorite.
After the usual, sweltering summer we undergo in the South, autumn is refreshing. When temperatures drop to the high fifties/low sixties and the days get shorter and shorter, the whole world seems to just slow down. The sunsets seem more golden, and the twilight cuts across the Earth more deeply. Perhaps it is my own biased opinion, but people generally seem happier in autumn as well. And maybe it is my own biased view again, but fall causes me to see the world in a different way. The way the sun highlights the trees, the ground, the buildings, and the cars just bring me to a place of peace.
I suppose it is a bit ironic that my favorite season also seems to last the shortest where I live, but it also adds to the appeal of it all too. I know not to take for granted every beautiful autumn day in the South because those days are simply the most rare. For me, November is the most glorious month, situated perfectly in the peak of fall. It is a sliver of time that hinges right above the frigid and impending winter and lays below the steamy and foregone summer. So naturally, as I write this on the first day of the season where it actually felt acceptable to wear a jacket, my heart swells with anticipation for the coming days where chilly, but bearable, weather takes a more consistent role in the forecast.
The time for long-sleeves and fleeces, jackets and coats, sweaters and scarves, boots and cardigans, is slowly making its return to my world. While many others across the globe already are enjoying the effects of autumn, I am OK with the magnificent season taking its time to reach me in New Orleans. After all, it is my belief that it is not the length of time you enjoy something that matters, rather, it is the depth in which you immerse yourself in it.
