Abundant Autumn

I love fall.  I love the cooler air, the vibrant colors, and the rich smells of fall.  I anxiously anticipate our annual trip to the pumpkin patch, and harvesting the last of the peppers and tomatoes from our garden.  I have a pretty much iron-clad excuse to watch horror movies as soon as we flip the calendar over to October; not that I don't watch horror movies the rest of the year, I can just do so with impunity in October.

I also look forward to reading the stories that I save exclusively for this time of year.  The anthology October Dreams edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish is absolutely my favorite collection of Halloween stories anywhere.  Plus as an added bonus, many famous horror authors record their favorite Halloween memories.  I can't recommend it enough if you enjoy a good scare in your reading or if you just want to recapture childhood memories of Halloween.  While it's hard to see in this picture with my chrysanthemums, the poor book is a bit worn after being read annually for about ten years now.  The other story I have to read every October is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.  I actually read this one with my children now that they're old enough to appreciate it (9 and 12).  The prose is simply beautiful and so evocative of the abundance of autumn.  

I can't help but feel very grateful this time of year, so it isn't difficult to choose the proper mindset of appreciation.  I've got a couple more posts percolating about choosing to be good to others which will be coming soon.  In the meantime, check out the stories above and/or enjoy the pictures of the Colorado aspens.  And of course, enjoy abundant autumn!

Choosing NOT to Decide - Government Shutdown

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.  - A line from Freewill by Rush

Our elected officials have abdicated their responsibility to choose a sensible path for our country here in America.  People are standing on principles that don’t make any sense.  The government has the charge to enact laws that are best for the majority of the people.  This means that no one particular ideological stance is going to make sense for everyone.  People need to talk to and listen to each other and try to find win-win solutions.  

I am dismayed by adults that act like 5-year old children throwing a temper tantrum and refuse to listen to others or even acknowledge that others might have a different and valid point of view.  Please note that I am not “taking sides” here; I’m blaming everyone who has been elected as a public servant but fails to understand their duty to said public.

Of course I think a big part of the problem is how much time people in general spend ranting and raving about their pet soapbox (and yes, I’m fully aware of the irony here), rather than having rational conversations and attempting to understand another’s view.  Internet comments tend to be filthy with negative comments and name-calling, rather than calm discussion about disagreements.  

Can’t we all choose to do better than this?  I wonder what we, as the human race, could accomplish if, instead of putting each other down, we propped each other up.  What if we all helped each other to identify our strengths so we could spend our time using them and thus feel successful and happy?  What if, when we have the inevitable difference of opinion, we calmly and respectfully disagreed and listened, rather than devolving to name-calling and personal attacks?  Perhaps I should stop following politics and reading internet comments which seem to bring out the very worst in people so that I can retain my faith in the inherent goodness of people.

Alright, I’m now stepping off of my soapbox and choosing to be the change I want to see in the world.  Feel free to disagree with me in the comments, respectfully of course!

Image:  Creative Commons Photo "Argument between daughter and mother" by Tambako the Jaguar