Against fall

The saddest song in the world is “Nightswimming” by R.E.M. My childhood best friend’s dad would play music while we swam in their backyard pool and, one evening, he put on Automatic for the People — and thus introduced me to the soundtrack for my seasonal depression.

The gut-wrenching lines:

Nightswimming, remembering that night
September's coming soon

I have no idea what the song is actually about, but hearing Michael Stipe sing in his deeply distraught way about (I assumed) summer coming to an end hit me right between my teenaged eyes.

For many years, I tried to pretend I was a Big Autumn Guy. The colors are really nice! My birthday is in the fall! But I can’t fake it: I am a true Summer Child. I like all the great things about fall, what I dislike is what the season represents: The end of summer and the march toward winter.

This shoulder season, for many, causes you to turn inward: Using the chilly weather as an excuse to stay in and “get cozy.” Ohh it’s dark now, we can’t possibly go out! (It’s 6 p.m.) Then comes the nostalgia: A few school buses pass by and the memories rush in: Remember when you were a young pup, headed off to a new school year!? Let’s pull on our unsexy, oversized sweaters and reminisce.

For an extrovert, this is hellish. I watch streets empty as TV shows return to their regular programming. The sun goes down earlier and it gets harder to convince folks to meet up in the evening (I really do get this, which is why the perfect time to hang out in the fall/winter is 3 p.m.). Everyone has drained their battery over the summer, and now they’re at home to recharge.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! Other countries have mastered the art of moving about as it gets cold. Their cities are even designed for it. In 2023, I wrote an article for Anjulie Rao’s Weathered series about how the American built environment isn’t conducive to being out and about in inclement weather. (One of my favorite takeaways came from a city planner, who noted that you only ever see SUMMERTIME illustrations of planned parks, with lush greenery — but you rarely see the same park illustrated for their use in the winter.) 

In my reporting for the piece, I read Happy City. In it, author Charles Montgomery describes how places like Copenhagen encourage outdoor gathering no matter the weather. Danes bike year-round and have a huge outdoor patio culture, where cafes even offer blankets to patrons. As when I wrote the article, Denmark remains the second happiest country, per the World Happiness Report.

It would behoove us all to keep going out and about as the seasons change: It’s good for fighting off loneliness, it’s good for fostering community, and it helps stave off seasonal affective disorder. Maybe this is why I’ve gotten back into football — I like an opportunity to get together and be excited about a thing! (I do like the pageantry, I’ll admit it. Players have fun celebration dances! People shout about their fantasy teams! A Sunday afternoon snack spread is a welcome treat! You can wear a block of cheese on your head!!!) And if we keep going outside while the temperatures start to fall, the deep winter won’t come as such a shock. 

I know I can’t win everyone over with staying outside — I am the neighbor kid who doesn’t understand why your mom needs you to go home — but I’m going to do my best to keep as many of you out and about as I can. If you own a fire pit, I am inviting myself over. If you have a Thermos or Yeti, we’re filling them with hot toddies for an evening stroll when we can see inside everyone’s windows. If you suggest a neighborhood, I will help plan a self-guided tour of the area.

I can’t do anything about fall’s rush of nostalgia, though. As soon as I thought about listening to “Nightswimming” in high school, I also remembered that was the last time a friend of mine had a pool. Sad!!!