BerthaBlog

The weather in my area has been very lively for the last couple of days. Non-stop rain since Tuesday morning, gusts of high wind, yet the temperature has been very comfortable for those of us who like to be out in this sort of thing.

It got me thinking about those moronic “personality test” things, the ones that ask questions like “If you were a vegetable, which one would you be?” Clearly those things are just meant to be entertainment, yet you find people who actually believe the results.

Well, some people are idiots. But that’s not my point.

I was thinking about the ones that ask you what your favorite season is, as though your choice of season says anything about you as a person. You like spring best, therefore you must be optimistic and energetic (because spring is a time of rebirth and renewal).

Except maybe you’re a lethargic grouch, but you like spring because your birthday is in May. Or because you look forward to starting your garden. Or because that’s when your spouse goes on a big retreat every year and you get the house to yourself.

Without taking into account why you like that season best, all the test tells you is how the test-maker feels about the seasons.

Fall is my favorite season. Fall is the time of year when everything seems most alive, at its peak, bursting with energy. Animals that were born in the spring are maturing into adulthood, exploring beyond the safety of their families, really learning to live in the world. Unless the summer was sparse, they’re fat and sleek and full of attitude. The trees are changing daily. The very air dances, constantly moving. I like to walk around outside and feel the shifting air, the changing temperature, see the squirrels jostle for good spots to cache food, watch the flocks of birds erupt and subside at random as they gear themselves up for migration.

Today was a great “fall” day. I wandered around outside in spite of the torrential downpour, just to experience the energy of the day. When I got home I was all charged up and did a bunch of work around the house.

Here’s a question for anyone who feels like playing along: Which season is your favorite? And more importantly, why?