Upside Down Cats

This is the first of "Gina's Lost Works" to be published on Upside Down Cats.
Originally written September 9, 2008

I feel a distinct coolness in the air today. Maybe it is too early to hope for a permanent end to our sweltering Midwestern Summer, but it's pleasant to ponder the possibility… That crisp, invigorating air of Autumn always awakens my senses, making me feel more alive and ambitious than at any other time of the year.

It’s no surprise that Autumn is my favorite season.

Ladies are probably familiar with the system of choosing colors for clothing and makeup that suit your skin tone. It categorizes you in terms of one of the four seasons. Well, if I could literally wear a season, it would be Autumn.

When I conjure up the perfect Autumn image I envision the rich golden colors of the season all around me as I ride my bike along the leaf-strewn streets of my neighborhood. I can smell the earthiness of the fallen leaves as my wheels crunch over them on the ground. Mix in the scent of a distant fireplace and it smells like paradise to me! The cool air blowing against my skin invigorates me – enticing me to go that one mile farther.

It’s easy to get a little philosophical when thinking about the seasons. Perhaps we prefer a certain season because of a memory or a mood we experienced in that season. Maybe we are tuned into the natural “life cycle” as it plays out each year from Spring to Winter, associating some aspect of the season to a “season” of our life.

For myself, I prefer the “nesting” urge I experience as the heat wanes and the brisk air arrives. I look forward to wearing cozy sweaters, snuggling under an afghan and warming the whole house with simmering pots of hearty soups and stews.

Poet Samuel Butler expressed my feeling about Autumn quite eloquently when he wrote, ”Youth is like spring, an over praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits. “

It’s the mellow aspect of Autumn that is attractive to me. I relish the sense of Autumn as a time to rest from the relentless pace of sun-bathed Summer. Where some may consider Autumn as the “beginning of the end” of the year, to me it signifies a time to reflect and appreciate the bounty that Summer has produced. I think of it as a time to gather up the fruits of our labors, sit back and reap the rewards. I wonder what that says about me? I hope it says that I am a person who delights in the yields of diligent work.

Whatever my particular feeling about a season, I always have an emotional connection to it. I believe it’s a way to connect to my life and to the world of which I’m a part.

What is your favorite season? How does your favorite season fit your personality?

A little over a year ago I was honored to be chosen as one of the contributors to a new web site. I was thrilled because it was my first opportunity to write for a project other than my own blog. I enjoyed writing these essays very much. Each one was written from my own heart and mind, which was another aspect of the project that appealed to me - it seemed the perfect vehicle for my natural writing style

Unfortunately, this web site project never got off the ground and the pieces I wrote have been in limbo; remaining unread and seemingly written for naught.

Until now.

I've decided that since these articles - fifteen in all - are the products of my own talent, that I have every right to give them the opportunity see the light of day. Better they be published here than sit, unread and buried in some abandoned graveyard of a concept.

So I'm proud to publish these essays - which I believe to be among my best work. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

The articles will appear individually and on no particular schedule. I would love to hear your opinion about them - every literary work should have the opportunity for critique.

Happy reading!