Something in the Air

According to the calendar, it's autumn, though the only evidence, apart from deliciously cool mornings, is the days growing markedly shorter. Both seem at odds with afternoons in which the mercury creeps into the 90s; not at all unusual for the valley, it's just noticeably incongruent. I'm not sure what it is about fall that makes me so reflective, but right on schedule, I find myself thinking about my childhood in the mountains, people I've known and lost touch with over the years and of course, Tower.

Part of this nostalgic bent might be hastened by the fact that my writers group recently expanded to include more women I worked with at the bookstore. So predictably, we can't help but revisit our shared past, talking about our fellow employees and rehashing favorite customer stories. It's more than that though. Fall feels like a time for new beginnings, whether a new school year, a new semester, or just time to double down and refocus, after the relaxed pace of summer.

For me, looking ahead to anything new comes with a generous helping of looking back at where I've been and the twists and turns of the paths traversed. I seem to fall into such reflection more and more with each passing year. Whether that's an introvert thing or just human nature, I don’t know, but here I am. The path to being a writer went through the bookstore, took a hard right turn though the advertising department, then a sweeping curve into purchasing, where I spent my final three years at Tower. It all came to an end eight years ago this month. With each passing year, I expect the anniversary to have less of an effect on me, but it hasn't happened yet. Perhaps it's finally time to tell that story too...