Don Miller is a local author who has written popular reads such as Blue Like Jazz, Through Painted Deserts, and Searching for God Knows What. He is an enthralling author for many. When I went to one of his readings/book signings I was wowed by all of the individuals that he had reached through his writings. He was very personable and chatted with each person that approached him for a signature. I had gotten a copy of the book for a friend who had just moved to NYC and was having him sign her copy also. I remember that he was impressed I was going to read two copies of the same book, until I burst his bubble. He was very happy to hear that I was sharing the love. Jyndia was SO elated to get the signed copy...
Anywho, on to the reason for this post: Not only do I love Don Miller, I REALLY LOVE autumn, fall, leaf changing time, season between summer and winter, whatever you may call this glorious time of year, I love it. I don't know the exact reason I love it, but a few supporting reasons include: the colors-love the brilliant oranges, reds, yellows-and here in Oregon I get to experience the colors for a longer period of time. I love the crisp biting morning air, the smell of smoke from fireplaces that are being used again to warm the inhabitants of their respective homes. Even love decorating for it! I get this little burst of energy (usually on my way home from work), come home, clear out the storage unit to get to the decorations and get a little over excited about the prospect of donning my fall leaf garland, pumpkins, corn cobs, etc. I love the fall festivals, pumpkins, apple cider, you name it, if it involves fall I probably love it.
My love for fall brings me to Mr. Miller: In the Author's Note of Through Painted Deserts there is a passage I read and re-read every autumn here in Portland:
"It is fall here now, my favorite of the four seasons. We get all four here, and they come at us under the doors, in through the windows. One morning you wake and need blankets; you take the fan out of the window to see clouds that mist out by midmorning, only to reveal a naked blue coolness like God yawning.
September is perfect Oregon. The blocks line up like postcards and the rosebuds bloom into themselves like children at bedtime. And in Portland we are proud of our roses; year after year, we are proud of them. When they are done, we sit in the parks and read stories into the air, whispering the gardens to sleep."
There is much more to the Author's Note, and I wish I could regurgitate it all here now, but will close with this segment:
"It frightened me to think of it, that I passed up an early marriage or children to write these silly books, that I bought the lie that the academic life had to be separate from relational experience, as though God only wanted us to learn cognitive ideas, as if the heart of a man were only created to resonate with movies. No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath."
I as I read these segments and the rest of the note, I can't help but be reflective on my summer, as we transition into fall. I vowed early on that I was going to have as many experiences this summer as I could. New and repeated. I was going to live life. I feel like I have succeeded! And still have more to go...festivals, events, time with friends and just plain fun things that are planned for the remaining days before the rain arrives and I am no longer go able to spend hours of my days outside hiking, strolling around downtown, and just enjoying life. There are first time experiences that I've had that will be repeated, and first time experiences that will be one time experiences and I love that I am able to say I experienced so much. Granted there were things that were neglected, well, really only one thing that I can think of at the moment--housework. I figure that there will be many a rainy day that I can vacuum, dust, put those shoes away (wait they are already put away--and I've kept that area up!).
I know that I will be sad as the rains begin, and will look back on the pictures and memories from this summer often. I also know that soon enough the seasons will change and we will be back where we were a few short months ago and I can do it all over again, and then some. Until then, I am hoping that I don't wish my life away too much like so many of us when we are busy and life seems to be too much. May I slow down and continue to appreciate the little things in life in a different way than I have been the past several weeks. May I catch-up on dusting those shelves that I've been avoiding, have more quiet, "ease into my day with my morning cup of tea" kind of days, and get good and rested so I can hit the ground running in my next go-round. May I be thankful for the life I live, the opportunities I have and the warmth of all the friendships that I experience. I wish the same and more for you all also! Blessings.
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