The Change of Season

As the gardener in me mourns the chilly mornings that soon end the short growing season, there is a hopeless romantic in me that relishes the Fall more than any season. It’s a season of pumpkin patches, apple cider and walks in the falling leaves. The fun fashion loving part of me is excited for jaunty little hats perched atop my head, scarves artfully arranged around my neck and the best transition of all, trading the flip flops for the tall boots. The appeal of the fresh crisp clean air begs for a sweater, a cup of tea and a good book!

In my early twenties, I spent more time outdoors: Fall heralded the arrival of hunting season. It was rare that after the work was done that we weren’t at bonfires, bouncing around in the woods in a four wheel drive or preparing for the weekend hunting trip. As circumstances changed and the arrival of kids came, fall took on a different scene. It became a time of exciting new family adventures! It meant stews and cornbread, visits to the pumpkin patch, going to the corn maze. And, just a year ago, it meant the excitement of just starting school, for our daughter.

The bustle of fall is announced earlier and earlier as stores commercialize the back to school season. But for me, it reminds me of the joy of a brand new pink eraser, reams of lined notebook paper and the smell of sharpened pencils. Let’s face it, fall brings out the inner geek in me. And when the intellectual side calls, there is no greater place to go visit than the Library.

Last weekend, while the kids were at the grandparent’s, my darling husband asked me what I would like to do for a date. Thinking quietly for a moment, I decided that I would like to go to the library. I wasn’t quite sure how this would appeal to him. As a mom of three kids, quiet and an endless supply of books sounded like perfection, especially when shared with the one who contributed to said kids. However, being told for quite a few years that he wasn’t much of a reader, had me doubting the quality of the idea for him.

Downtown was pulsing with the life of Oktoberfest. The sound of horses hooves beat through the street as people took wagon rides. Laughter rang through the air, people enjoying the excitement and the company. The mood was festive as we crossed the street to the library.

Entering the library is one of my favorite parts of the visit. The doors slide open and you are instantly greeted by the smell of books. It’s kind of musty, kind of sweet, smells like paper and ink. There is a reverent kind of quiet that envelopes you and draws you deeper into the building like a warm hug. As we ran up the stairs, we turned the sound off on our Blackberries, grinned at each other and reached the upper floor. Eager to search out books on my list, I embarked on my mission.

After searching for the correct aisle, I was bummed to see that the book that had been available online just hours before was now on hold. Certainly someone else wasn’t reading the same Western series from the early 80s that I was. It’s a garage sale commodity and someone got it from the library before me? Surely not. I went to the computer and looked up my book only to find that it was on hold. Disappointed, I didn’t think and closed the browser. In a moment of panic I realized what I did and couldn’t get the browser back up. Embarrassed, I continued on my search to see if they had any of the other books on my list.

After pulling some Victoria Holt books I wasn’t sure that I had yet read, I went to another section to find a different author. Unfortunately, it brought me back to the aisle where I had unwittingly thwarted anyone’s chance of finding books on the computer I used. I saw an older lady with an utterly confused look on her face trying to use the machine. I recognized her frustration as she found the troubleshooting guide. I had observed it on my own mother frequently due to her love-hate relationship with computers. Realizing that I had committed a library faux pas, I slunk quickly and quietly down the aisle the other way and decided to find a table.

The sunlight was pouring through the beautiful front of windows on this fall day. The view from the upper level of the library overlooked a parking lot, a park like setting in front of a historical building and spanned the cityscape that had grown substantially in the last five years. The warmth was inviting, so I sat down. Delighted with the prospect of several mini mental vacations in the form of a book, I dove in. As I was sitting there, I realized that I hadn’t seen Wayne. So, I picked up the Blackberry and messaged him. Just when I received his response I looked up to see him observing me with amusement. “Is this seat taken?” He said. I laughed, remembering how many times in high school I would have been delighted to hear that. My heart filled with the joy that only a perfect moment that you want to etch in your head forever can bring. “What did you find?” I asked. Little did I know, he had gone on the library site earlier and figured out which books he had wanted to get. Enthused with his initiative to enjoy the day as well, it tickled me to find that he had promptly searched out the non-fiction aisle.

Wayne has this amazing capacity to read tons of information, filter it, and then apply it to whatever area he is working on. His interests include, but are not limited to: landscaping, sound technology, computers and website building. He is very technically inclined. I never fail to be amazed at the work that he can tackle effortlessly after reading how to’s. His ability to fix things is incredible. Usually, his approach to enjoyment is doing something useful. Non-Fiction was definitely where it was at for him.

Enjoying each other's company while being in our own spheres was relaxing. In between reading, I would pause and look up at him or observe what was going on around us. Then, as I caught glimpse of the poor woman I sabotaged the computer for, I giggled with my guilty conscience. Sensing that I was up to no good, Wayne looked at me with a question in his eyes. In a conspiratorial whisper, I told him I had a confession to make and told him about my faux pas. Knowing my propensity to unintentionally break things with my impatience he laughed at me, shook his head and went back to reading up on common sense approaches to web usability.

I realized how funny it was that in six years, this is just now a side of each other we’ve not explored. In my mind, I tried to figure out how we looked from the outside: the crazy creative girl in a long summer dress paired with a sweater, a flower in her dark hair. Wearing the mandatory glasses with the black rectangular frames that establish her, in her mind, as an artist, not a dork, staring at the man you have grown up with, but learning new things about him. “So this is what it’s like to grow up! Library dates and festivals instead of bouncing around in the woods in a four wheel drive.” I thought. It is nourishment for the brain, cultivating the intellectual side. Broadening horizons through the unexpected glory of not finding the book you were looking for, but finding a book that made you wonder why you weren’t looking for it, sharing an intimate setting with someone you love, but not totally consuming their space.

In that moment, I was sincerely looking forward to my evening at home, alone reading, while Wayne went to break down sound equipment after an event: his new hobby. Holding hands and carrying books, we left the quiet of the Library. Lifting my face to the fresh warm fall air, I sighed in bliss as I realized what a wonderful start to the new season this was!