Today is November 5, 2023, and when I look back at past posts from this time on Facebook, they all scream winter vibes. There are photos of my pup in a puffer jacket and that Starbucks diary next to the Christmas decorations I earned with hard-earned frequency points. Even if I ignore the old photos, it’s already November. November can’t be summer, right?
However, this year’s seasons are definitely marching to a different beat. Just yesterday, it was pretty warm. I even regretted not wearing a t-shirt to the stem cell walk organized by the foundation. As I walked, I felt the warmth rising from within. I thought it was just a stroll, but when asked to pause and create human heart shapes or flip the colors on the ground, I wanted to escape the event. Being directed to form a heart with a crowd wasn’t my thing, but seeing my colleague loving it and making a heart with their hands for the camera reminded me that no two people are the same. The heart wasn’t the point; the fact remained that even by dinner, it was still quite muggy. 🌞
Sitting in a café this morning, I watched the rain outside, wondering how I’d get home. Checking the weather forecast, I learned next week would be full-on winter. Wait, what? Are we skipping autumn this year? Yesterday felt like summer! All the fall clothes I prepared won’t see the light of day. A few attempts to wear them ended with me stuffing them back like an unbloomed flower waiting for next year. Judging by recent years, those clothes might stay unworn. From now on, we can wear t-shirts until November 5 and then switch to padding the next day. No need to buy fall clothes anymore, folks. 😊
It’s hard not to feel a pang of sadness at the fading of seasonal gradients. Will there come a time when future generations ask me what autumn was like?
‘When I was young, there was a season called ‘autumn.’ It was nestled between ‘summer’ and ‘winter.’ Yeah, it wasn’t too hot or too cold, just perfect. You might find it in some old dictionary. People wore t-shirts with a windbreaker or a cozy sweatshirt. Folks enjoyed a breeze by the Han River with chicken and beer. Even the Italian poet, Vincenzo Cardarelli, wrote poems about autumn’s beauty. You wouldn’t get it because you’ve never experienced it. There was even a song called ‘When Autumn Comes.’ What’s it mean? Imagine a song like ‘When Summer Comes,’ but swap summer for autumn in your mind. There was even a band named ‘Autumn.’ Oh, wait, that was ‘Noel.’ Albert Camus once said, ‘Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.’ Huh? What’s ‘spring,’ you ask? Well…’
Let’s hope spring doesn’t vanish too. 🌼
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