Thankful for Fall, Sunny Days
As we turn the page into October, a new fall season has arrived once again.
From a personal standpoint, my favorite season is back and truly none to soon. While I appreciate spring (especially after a winter like we had last year), nothing tops fall and the crisp, cool mornings with the leaves a variety of bright colors and the rigors of summer once again in the rear view mirror.
It reminds me of how thankful I am for fall as well as so many things in life, which is often far too hectic and stressful. Fall is a time of year many people associate with giving thanks so with that in my I am thankful in early October 2014 for:
•A new pair of shoes, which don’t require weeks of breaking in.
•A pair of pants, which actually fit.
•A shirt that not’s too tight. (Anyone who has seen me in person knows why.)
•The trek back to my hometown which never seems to grow old.
•The fact that my small hometown (Monticello) still looks pretty much the same in 2014 as it did in 1984.
•Memories of Thanksgiving meals with grandparents and family members that we never see enough.
•Wednesday afternoons and the sense of satisfaction when we close the book on another edition of the paper. It’s something that even after 20 years as a professional I haven’t grown tired of.
•A Saturday afternoon in the fall in my recliner (or on the couch) watching college football after another long week of work.
•Friday nights at the local high school stadium once the weather turns a little cooler. There is so much that is special about high school football. It’s the teams, the bands, the cheerleaders, the line at the concession stand, the booster club members preparing the food and the final minutes before kickoff that make it a unique experience.
•For the good friends I have been blessed with. Friendship is a word that many people really don’t understand. Friendship is a two-way street and to know someone thinks enough of you to work at keeping it going is special.
•The fact that “today could be the day” I win the lottery.
•The reader who walks up to you and asks, “Aren’t you that guy from the paper?” and then has something positive to say.
•Those who still take the time to write “Letters to the Editor.”
•That I live in a country where I can vote without fear of being arrested for the candidate of my choice. Our election system is not perfect, but it’s still the best.
•The anticipation of seeing a new movie after watching previews for weeks.
•Being able to watch classic television shows, some of which aired before I was even born and that, to be honest, has been some time ago now.
•The times when the yard is mowed and the feeling of satisfaction as I slip into my favorite recliner.
•Good neighbors.
•The Monday mornings when it is not raining.
•Any day of the week when the sky is a bright blue.
•Sports talk radio.
•The fact that my roof is still not leaking.
•A car that gets me to and from work each day without being stranded on the side of the road.
•A job during a time when jobs are often tough to come by for so many.
Monticello native Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal in Winder. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.