Autumn - A Season of Transition

Autumn is a widely disregarded but significant season. It marks the transition between the busy summer season and the colder, more challenging winter season. Let's slow down and answer a question so that we understand where this is going.

What is a transition?

Transition is a noun and the Miriam Webster online dictionary defines transition as the "Passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to anotherr."

Why is that important?

All things in nature are cyclic by design. Nature understands that all living things need rest in order to fulfill their higher purpose. Humans, in their infinite wisdom, seem to ignore what nature knows. Take writers for example. How many writers do you know that work full time, have families with all the inherent obligations, and stay up into the wee hours writing simply because it's the only time they have? After a time, they wonder why they aren't feeling creative or worse, have writer's block. Our bodies were not designed to push through the 24 hours we are allowed in a day. Just as the trees go dormant in the colder months and bears hibernate, humans need that transition to a slower pace too. We are invincible, we think, but in reality, we are just plain stubborn.

Autumn provides a small window of opportunity to get out there and enjoy the colors of the season or, if you live in warmer climates, a good excuse to do something different. Even if you don't live in an area where the Fall foliage turns the many shades of yellow, orange, red, or brown, there are things you can do.

Grab your camera and go for a walk. Take a hike on a favorite trail or go for a ride in the countryside. Walk the beach or climb a mountain. Take an hour and sit on your deck or patio. Listen to the sounds of the birds or crickets. Experiment with your mind. When was the last time you were really still and...quiet? You might be surprised where your mind will take you when you let go of the reins.

If you're just too high-strung to call it a break, use that camera to help alleviate the guilt. Snap photos of anything and everything you see. You don't need to be a professional photographer. Just snap away at anything that gets your attention and some things that don't. Images of nature make for great inspiration when you can't think of anything to write about. Store them in a folder on your computer and when you're stumped, pull up the images and let them speak to you. They will and you will be amazed at what they have to say.

Halloween is one of the few holidays that doesn't require shopping for gifts or traveling across the miles to visit family. Why not enjoy it? Have a little fun. Dig out the Halloween decorations and show the world you're having some fun. Invite some friends over and have a Halloween costume contest or play some silly Halloween games. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be fun.

If you want to be a really cool person, maybe you could so something to benefit the "uns" in your community. Click the word if you don't know what I mean. Maybe you need some ideas. No problem.

• The Un-employed. Surely you have friends who are looking for work. Invite them for a Halloween meal.
• The Un-wanted. Take some Halloween treats to the local orphanage.
• Un-housed. Fill some Halloween bags with socks, Chapstick, gloves, and candy for the homeless.
• The Un-fed. Make some Halloween cupcakes and deliver them to the soup kitchen or The Salvation Army.

You get the idea, I think. Not only will you be doing something amazing for some people who are hurting but - you are guaranteed to have something to write about when it's over.

Autumn can be a short season but Halloween is just around the corner. Make some plans, stop working so hard, and do something fun and charitable. Make the transition from Autumn to Winter one that leaves you energized, your spirit renewed, and life a little better for someone else. Whether you do it with a jaunt in nature to capture some beautiful nature images or with those Halloween costumes and games that are collecting dust in the attic is not important. You can shake the dust off or keep collecting the dust in your brain. Go on, have a little fun and then, tell us about it.