Is Autumn Underrated?

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

If you asked me a couple of years ago what my favorite season of the year was, I would have said winter. I love the snow, Christmas time, drinking hot chocolate (though I drink it year round anyway) and everything that comes along with the winter season, but as years passed, I grew to resent it. Summer slowly became my favorite time of the year, solely because it granted me time off from school and allowed me to do anything I wanted without any time restrictions. That changed this past summer when I started working. I'm not going to complain because the weekly paychecks made it worthwhile, but the inconsistent hours made the summer a drag and easily one of the most lackluster summer "vacations" I've had in some time.

That "light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak was coming back to college in September. You might be thinking to yourself, "Wait, he'd rather be at school than at home?" It sounds strange, I know, but not as strange as you might think. Also, keep in mind that I don't drink, smoke or do drugs. I didn't want to "escape" to the college environment because there wouldn't be any rules. I simply feel more in comfort zone at college where I don't have to rely on anyone. While many kids dread going back to school every September (or August for most), I look forward to it. I realize that it's different for middle/high school students and college students since it's a completely different atmosphere, but even when I was in middle/high school I never complained about going back. You know it's going to happen, so why whine?

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Anyway, I've come to realize that all of this just might coincide with the fall season. Before a few weeks ago, I never thought of the fall as being a great time of year. But the more I thought about it, the more I figured out that the fall isn't such a bad time of the year after all. If anything, it's best time of year. Again, that's a bold statement, but I thoroughly believe it. In the winter, it's always cold and you can't really do much outside except for playing in the snow. That might be appealing to some (it used to be for me when I was younger), but to most, it's not. The summer is the best time to go on vacation, but I, personally, am not much of a beach goer. I don't dread it, but it's not something I particularly like to do. The weather gets too hot and all the sweating makes me uncomfortable. As previously noted, it's also the time of the year when I'm home for several months and I enjoy being in my own space at college.

And then there's spring. Spring is an interesting season. The weather gets nice again, but it's still cold in April (at least in the Northeast where I live, anyway). When it finally starts to get really nice by mid-May, I'm off campus for the summer. As you can tell, all of this all pertains to me, but everyone has their own opinion of what the best season of the year is. I never appreciated the month of September until just recently. It's been an awesome month for me on all fronts and I love the fact that fall is just getting started.

For starters, the weather isn't too hot, nor is it too cold. There's a lot of leaves (and it's annoying to rake them all), but it makes for a beautiful sight every time you wake up. For kids, going back to school is also exciting. I can't be the only one who gets bored sitting home after a while, right? Granted, I'm different in that I like to always keep myself busy, but I know a lot of people who simply sit home all day watching TV, playing video games or whatever else. That's all fine and dandy, but if you're not being productive, then what's the point? The school assignments can be stressful at times, but that's life. You're getting something accomplished and doing something with your life. That's something you can be proud of and take pride in.

I also see autumn as being a time of "change." The leaves are changing colors, the scenery is constantly changing, everything is changing. Spring is somewhat similar in that respect, but the school year is pretty much over by that point. Autumn, on the other hand, it's an exciting time of year. The countdown to all the major holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) begins. While Christmas marks the official start of winter, the countdown to Christmas all takes place during the fall. It's the busiest time of the year, but it's also the most enjoyable, in my opinion.

I'm not saying autumn is by any means perfect. We wrestling fans know the WWE product dies a death in the final few months of the year. It's unfortunate, but it happens every year and I've just come to expect it. At the same time, football fans are in heaven since it means the American pastime is back. So, there's a little something for everyone to enjoy. The weather is perfect for the most part (depending on where you live) and there a plentiful of activities to engage in. Very rarely do I see people say that their favorite season is fall. I just might be the first. As noted, it hasn't always been, as recent happenings have made it my favorite time of the year. Nevertheless, I look forward to what the remainder of 2014 brings, as well as autumn on the whole. Happy fall, folks!