Saturday

Here I am sitting on my front porch watching traffic glide by.  Saturday.  It’s not like I won’t work today (the curse of a home office) but I make time to sit and just “BE.”

I went today to have my annual McRib sandwich. Not that there’s anything special about McRib sandwiches but as I was driving through Roeland Park I noticed everyone had raked their leaves into the street. I suppose the city will suck them up into a machine.  Today we call this a city service. I call it “a disruption of natures natural cycle.”

When we get to fall the leaves turn and we all do the “oooh aaah” thing but then the leaves fall (it is fall duh). We are moving toward that barren and unforgiving season of winter. For me winter holds a particular  place in my PTSD heart. It’s not good so fall as a transition time is important. Oh for the days when we lazily raked the leaves into clumps and carry them to the 44 gallon barrel in the back and burned them. The leaves stayed on the ground longer back then.

Now one day you drive down the street and leaves scatter before the wind in crazy circles moving from yard to yard softening the soon to be barren landscape. The smell of burning leaves creates strong memories in your head and back then no one was in a hurry to rake leaves. Today you drive down that street the following day and all the leaves are gone from all the houses on the block. Barren and cold before its time.

This is just another “I want it now” event. I encourage everyone to just let it be. The leaves won’t hurt you and I promise they will be gone by spring. Heaven forbid you burn them. That causes “global warming.” Most cities won’t let you anymore anyway.

Winter tests our resolve to live. Fall gives us preparation time. Summer will be here soon enough.