Ahh, fall...my favorite season of the year.

Growing up in Excelsior Springs, one of my favorite unwinding past times was going out into our backyard and laying down on one of the railroad ties that surrounded our driveway. From this quiet spot, I could gaze up through the trees and at the sky while completely relaxing. On rare occasion I’d even fall asleep out there, only to be awakened by the calls from my Mom announcing that it was time for dinner. God those were relaxing times.

Of all the seasons, my absolute favorite is the Fall. The weather is neither hot nor cold, you can leave the windows open at night, and the leaves on the trees look absolutely beautiful. One of the best sounds on earth is the sound of crunching leaves beneath one’s shoes. As a child I’d spend countless hours marching around our backyard, crushing hundreds of leaves beneath this pair of goofy brown hiking boots just to hear that incredible tune that only the Fall could provide.

As the summer ended and life geared back up — the new school year was just around the corner, you know — I’d lie there on those railroad ties for hours upon end after school and listen to the locusts playing out their evening soliloquy. Everything just seemed so much more alive during this period. While the majority of my friends were lamenting the end of the break, I was that odd kid that looked forward to beginning the new school year. Soon it’d be time for snowball fights and the holiday season…autumn has always calmed me down, preparing me for everything new.

I’m currently sitting at home with the windows open. My living room has sliding glass doors that lead out onto the deck and I’m right next to them. The sun is setting so the room has filled up with that unmistakable golden hue that only the sun can provide. I can hear the locusts off in the distance. I can gaze over my left shoulder and see the pale blue sky through the branches of the tree just outside. This is certainly a relaxing moment.

Here I am, twenty-plus years later, and I find myself having traded the railroad tie for a big black leather recliner. My body is older, longer, and bigger than it was more than two decades ago. Rather than folding my arms across my chest I find them on my laptop’s keyboard. I have much more responsibility than I had back then: children, bills, my career. Yet, if I merely close my eyes I find myself magically transported back to this same time period during my youth: my nose picks up a hint of pine — that powerfully sweet scent I’ve forever associated with this season; I’ll ponder the same things I did as a teenager…my thoughts turn to visions of my current crush and no longer is it the witty dishwater blond in my 3rd hour literature class but someone entirely different; the longer the weather stays this perfectly still the longer I remain inside my head, completely relaxed and enjoying the solitude.

The only thing truly missing at the moment is the anxiety I’d eventually begin to feel, knowing that at any second I was going to hear the only words powerful enough to break me from the spell under which I’d so peacefully fallen: “Kenny Mike? Supper time!”

I do so love this time of the year. Welcome back, Fall…I’ve been looking forward to getting reacquainted with you once again.