Fall

A history professor once asked a classroom of students if they could live at the beginning, middle, or end of an empire, which would they choose?

So would they live at the beginning of the empire when things are just beginning to grow and everything is fresh and new.  Would they live in the middle of the empire when things are at the height of development.  Or would they live in the final days of an empire when things are deteriorating and falling apart and they have to try desperately to keep things from crumbling.  The idea being that depending on their answer that this would give a better insight into that person’s view of life.

In the same vein I ask people, which season do they prefer?  Things like the rise and fall of empires are a bit over the top for most people to consider but I think everyone can relate to the seasons.  Even here in Texas, where we basically just have a hot and cold season, we have some idea of what seasons are.

Personally I’ve always been a fan of Fall.

I find that Fall tends to bring out very polarizing opinions among people.  They either hate or love it but few people are noncommittal about it.

Those who love it tend to associate it with colorful leaves, cooling temperatures, and harvest season celebrations like Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Those who hate it see it as a depressing season of decay, of increasing darkness, and a preview of a hard winter.

I tend to see it as a reaffirmation of the cyclical nature of our lives and of a system of growth and regrowth.  We tend to forget that in order for something new to grow that something old has to decay and make room for it.

Traditionally Fall was the end of the year.  Time keepers decided to make December 31st the “official” end of the year but in traditional cultures it was Fall.  I tend to think of Fall as the end of the year as well.  Nature and life have once again completed a cycle begun uncounted ages ago.

In my life I have also done this as well.

My business year had its beginning in last year, continued to grow over the months and is now drawing to a close.  Some new orders will continue to come in of course but companies are already thinking of the next year.

My state of health took a particularly good turn this year.  The last couple of years have just been for getting used to exercising on a regular basis but I kept at it over the Winter.  Beginning in early January and going through the Summer I made good progress and look to expand on that as time passes.

I saw a need to make several home improvements last year and planned for it.  I made several improvements to my house over the course of the year.  Some planned, some unplanned but they are all complete now and the house in the best shape that it’s been in years.  Several things left to do of course but I look to continue on the improvements next year.

My personal life?  That needs work.  But I think I have some good ideas to move forward with.  At the very least I have the determination inside of me to keep trying.

Overall it’s been a good year.  Time to sit back with a hot cup of tea and reflect on what worked, what failed, and what can be improved.  I sit back and watch as time clears away the detritus of the old, but down deep in the earth lie the seeds of a new year.  The decay of the old year will feed the growth of the new year.  Deep below the green shoots wait patiently for Winter’s snow to melt and to burst forth again.  Deep inside of me are the plans for a better year.

Fall isn’t the end of the old empire but the beginning of the new.