I Felt The Fall

I think I was about 13 the first time I heard someone say something that expressed what I had thought only I had experienced for many years. I was at a friend’s house; it was eairly August I think, and out of nowhere his mother, gazing out the window said, “I felt the fall this morning”. Her son laughed, but I knew exactly what she meant. From that day on, I always saw her differently. I have mentioned this feeling to several people over the years, and mostly have received courteous nods that only showed that they did not understand. It’s difficult to explain. It can occur in many different ways. The sky takes on a curious shade of blue. An out of place wisp of cool air that appears as if from nowhere. A light scent of smoke from a far off fire or a bird that lands precariously close by and then departs in a panic. I’m not sure that anyone has ever shared this feeling with me. Even the friend, whose mother had said it, used to laugh about his mother saying it. There is a feeling of nostalgia that goes along with it. It reminds me of the feeling that always came with the ending days of summer. I’m 63 now and its only August 26 and this morning I felt the fall.


©2008