Great (Mistaken) Expectations

I grew up in a land that didn't really experience autumn. San Diego is, of course, a mellow weather place, and though I didn't know how spoiled I was, I also didn't know what I was missing out on. I got my first taste of what real fall could be like when I went off to college in Utah, but even then, it was still kind of a desert-y autumn.

My eyes were opened when I experienced my first autumn back east. At the beginning of my mission I lived on Long Island in New York, and the first twinges of the cooler weather were fluttering in just before I transferred into the city. I had never experienced anything like it. The brilliant orange and gold flocks of trees, the mellow (not warm) days followed by crisp evenings where you need a jacket and cuddling before a fire sounds lovely. Not that I ever got to cuddle up with a cute guy before a fireplace as a missionary, but just the idea of it was pleasant.

When October arrived I had moved to Queens, but I also got the full excitement of real fall weather and a season where I could actually feel Halloween approaching. All those long-sleeved sweaters and jeans and boots you see in the catalogs (and even in the stores) were actually comfortable to wear. And the smells. . . OK, I admit, Queens didn't smell very nice where I lived, but as a missionary I got around and there were a couple of large parks where we could pretend we were out on the Island. It smelled heavenly there.

These autumn experiences were so new and poignant that they remain distinct in my memory today, rather torturously so. If there is one season the Sonoran Desert doesn't have, it's fall. We basically skip from summer to a low-desert mild winter (the kind that the snowbirds flock here for). Late September through October is the hardest time of year for me because as we begin the countdown to Halloween, I keep expecting it to get cool. And every year I am disappointed and it seems to take FOREVER to cool down. Today, for example, is supposed to be anywhere from 102-107 degrees (depending on whose forecast you believe). Seriously!

At least our Walmart is finally starting to get a clue. Instead of being fully stocked with clothing appropriate to autumn in New England, they still have their racks of swimsuits out on display and the sleeveless shirts haven't been clearanced out yet. Took them long enough to get a clue. It's still summer here! Now I just need to get my own brain wrapped around that idea. Maybe if I just stopped expecting fall to arrive, it wouldn't be so bad, right?