There Was A Time

It’s autumn and in the western plains of New York State, along the shores of the Great Lake Ontario, Mother Nature is trying to decide to be warm or cold. The calendar will tell us what it’s supposed to do, but She will be the final arbiter.

September is done. October and November are beautiful months: family birthdays to be celebrated, holidays to enjoy, homage paid to soldier heroes and quiet remembrances of loved ones passed.

Leaves are falling. The front yard sugar maple, a full palette of colors one day, bares itself the next.

The Japanese maple sheds its leaves, leaving a stunning necklace of magentas and reds under its drip line.

If I’m lucky, the air will stay dry and the leaves will be light, easy to gather. If I’m very lucky, the wind will blow them away and shift the burden to a neighbor’s yard.

It’s a routine that repeats itself annually.

I remember a time when falling leaves meant afternoons of exhaustive running, jumping and disappearing into tall piles of those leaves that had been raked and gathered along sidewalk curbs of our ‘three decker’ houses in central Massachusetts. Childhood was the time for play.

I remember when residents burned the leaves in the streets to get rid of them. Smoke from the fires would fill the neighborhood, wrapping itself around houses, leaving a smelly calling card in its path. I would fall asleep in sheets saturated with the odor of burnt maples and oaks if those sheets happened to be hung outside to dry on leaf burning day.

Not anymore, mind you. The leaf pile jumping has been replaced by tablets and video games. And the leaf burning has gone the route of composting.

Life changes, we grow older, become serious. Nowadays, I see the piles of leaves and am reminded of those fun filled innocent days and for a brief moment I contemplate jumping. The thought passes, I come to my senses and leave it for the dog to enjoy.

Do you remember when ‘there was time’ and you enjoyed leaf jumping?

Steve (112423)

To Daisy (RIP)

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srbottch

Retired in 2013 after 5 years as an elementary school teacher and 40 years as a sales representative to begin anew as a school crossing guard. SMy essays/stories are a way to communicate through the telling of personal experiences. One reader said about my blog stories, "...these are like a cold sip during a marathon run, simple, real life events". Another offered about my blog, “it brings some sense of normalcy not easily found in the modern world.”

26 thoughts on “There Was A Time”

      4. Liz, before I modified my story, I had a line about hanging out sheets to dry, ‘only in Upstate (NY) and New Hampshire (where you live, I believe)’ as a nod to you and others who live in fresh air spots, but had second thoughts that lots of folks probably did the same, before families had dryers. Probably would have confused my thousands of readers 😉

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    1. There’s something romantic about it. But, my goodness, we have so many leaves in our neighborhood and this area, in general, that the ISS could see it from space if we were to burn them. But, I agree with you. Thanks, Pete.

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  6. Fall really is a time for reflecting and remembering childhood days. Your post is beautifully written, as always. Yes, leaf jumping is a delight and I get to watch children on the playground enjoy that childhood play- it’s been a staple for children ever since falling leaves. Best to you, Steve.

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