This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Temple chapter.
As you may have noticed, summer has said its goodbyes and introduced us to
its strange friend named Autumn. The air is no longer thick with humidity, but crisp
and cool. Nature becomes deciduous, and paints the town with magnificent colors.
Many people embrace this time of year with open arms and nuzzle up in their warm
flannels and big scarves. But I’m not buying in. I’m just going to come out and say it;
Autumn you puzzle me. I don’t think I can trust you and I have my reasons.
First of all what’s with the name? You’re the only season that has
conveniently given yourself a nickname. I get it, I get it, “fall” because the leaves are
falling from the trees. Maybe we should nickname all the seasons based on the
status of the leaves on its trees then. Spring is now, “grow”, winter can be, “gone”,
and summer will be…”present.” Or we can just not be ridiculous and stop
nicknaming seasons. So, sorry “fall”, I’m going to call you autumn, because it’s only
fair to the rest of the seasons.
Now that we have cleared that up, what is it about you that makes everyone
catch “pumpkin fever”? I understand that it is the bountiful crop of the season, but
it’s gone too far. Pumpkin-flavored things are getting out of control. I can’t walk
within 100 feet of a Starbucks without being hit with a potent wave of Pumpkin
Spiced Latte’s scent. I yearn to have the days back when pumpkin pie was the only
pumpkin treat of the season. I digress, because there are lists of pumpkin flavored
tragedies that already exist. Not a good look for you, autumn.
Your fluctuating weather is nearly impossible to get a grip on, especially in
months like October. Fashion magazine shove scarves, sweaters, and boots down
our throats, and eventually we give in. We scurry off to our shopping malls and
splurge on warm clothes that have seasonal hues, fur lining, and knitted with
warmth. Of course you know what happens next. We pick a day to debut our new
fall clothes, and then autumn decides to mess with us. “Oh wow! Look at your nice
warm clothes and fashionable layers. Here, have a 75 degree day,” you say
mockingly as we sweat into the soles of our new boots. Autumn, you can be a cruel
villain sometimes. If you listen closely to the breeze on a fall day, I swear I can hear
you laughing at all of us.
Let’s not forget about Halloween. Is it just me or is this the most stressful
holiday of the year? You’re trying to tell me that I have to spend upwards of $50 on
an outfit that I will only wear once? And all of the DIY options are out of the question
too, because unfortunately I’m not part of the five percent of the population who is
capable of crafting an entire costume. This holiday is understandably fun for kids
under the age of 12 because they can walk up to a stranger’s door and receive candy.
Could we extend the age acceptability for trick-or-treating please? Trust me, a
struggling twenty-something year old college student would appreciate a free face
full of chocolate just as much as a 12 year old. Instead, we are encouraged to drink
pumpkin flavored vodka and call it a night. Thanks, autumn.
So autumn, I don’t’ mean to attack you if that’s how it seems. There are plenty
of things I enjoy about you. Nothing is better than devouring a plate of wings with
you friends on football Sunday. Thanksgiving is arguably the best holiday for food,
and it’s great to get together with the family after some time apart. And I’d be lying
to you if I said I didn’t get serious satisfaction out of carving a Pumpkin once a year.
You do have your likable qualities autumn. I’ll do my best on being a little less
judgmental, and you just work on getting pumpkin-flavored things off the shelves.