Fall into Nostalgia
Maybe it’s the cool mornings, the smell of the leaves, the football game playing in the background, or the feeling of putting on a sweater you haven’t worn in a while. Maybe it's the change in sunlight that comes with shorter days, or the smoke and crackles of a bonfire that bring old memories back. The change of seasons usher in all sorts of feelings, and for me, this time of year is rich with nostalgia.
What memories come to mind when you think of October and the onset of fall? It might only take one sight, sound, or smell to bring back an entire season of our lives. We may not remember it exactly, but we remember how we felt.
For me, I think of old Halloween costumes. It was the 80s, so most of us wore outfits cobbled together from whatever we could find in our family closets or the nearest drugstore. I remember the plastic smocks with matching masks that had elastic ties so tight that it was hard to breathe but we didn't care because... CANDY. After canvassing the neighborhood with our ragtag bunch of misfit friends, we all ended up at someone's house to sort and swap our sugary treasures while on network TV, Linus waited patiently in the patch for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.
Ask your family and friends about their memories of this time of year, and you might hear a story you’ve never heard before. Some of the best tales start with something simple: a song, a movie, or a smell you haven’t thought about in years. Here are a few questions to get you started:
Did you dress up for Halloween? What was your best and worst costume?
Did you go Trick-or-Treating? With who? What was the favorite candy?
What is your favorite time of year?
How have your feelings about the fall season changed with age?
