Wednesday, October 5, 2011

October's Alarm

October. What’s so good about it? For me, it’s a love-hate relationship. Living in the high desert, October holds no promise of autumn, but it does offer the promise of ending Daylight Savings Time.
If anyone is keeping tally of my random pet peeves, feel free to add Daylight Savings to the list. In my way of thinking, it makes no sense to enforce a time change in a region so close to the equator. The days and nights are already fairly equally distributed year-round.
As it stands, many indigenous people boycott the time change, if they even know it exists. This causes all sorts of misunderstandings, like we don’t have enough confusion as it is. We plan an event or a meeting with people, never entirely sure what time they will show up. Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
These early days of October, the clock daily alarms me out of a deep and sometimes lovely dream. However last week I was relieved to hear that awful clanging on two consecutive mornings when the alarm delivered me from a newly recurring nightmare. Do you ever have those?
As a child, did you ever have that nightmare where you were out in public only to discover you were practically naked? My grown up, missionary version of this nightmare goes like this: Dh and I are hiking out to an Indian village, where I try to discretely photograph all the colorful and interesting people. No matter what I do, people gawk at me.
In this crazy dream that won’t end without the alarm clock, dh is happily engaged in conversation with the men of the village while I am being overtly shunned and ostracized by the women. Always I realize too late that I am wearing shorts – a huge cultural taboo, particularly among Christians. Then I try frantically to wrap a rebozo (Indian shawl) like Miss Wear-it-on-My-Sleeves, to make it look like a skirt of some sort.
Not to defy Miss What- to-Wear-Wednesdays, who recently condemned the use of the ugly but ever so practical granny gown (sigh), however, it seems coincidental that these nightmares only return on the nights when I sleep in shorty little PJ shorts, and never when I wear my ever so comfy, though undeniably homely, granny gown. Just saying….
So, back to October.
What do you love/hate about October in your corner of the world?
Seldom ambivalent about anything, as you have noticed, here is my short list:
  • I love that the countryside is still green, yet it is sunny enough to dry clothes on the line
  • I hate the prospect of facing another long, dry, dusty season ahead
  • I love that I can soon sleep that extra hour every morning
  • I hate Mexico’s fascination with Day of the Dead
  • I love that Halloween brings neighbors right to my doorstep
  • I hate that they are all masked and I have no idea who they are
Your turn. Do tell.
IRL* Again my past posts are coming back to haunt me – even in my sleep!

13 comments:

  1. For me here in Tokyo it is being glad that I have survived another dreadful hot and humid summer!!! I also enjoy the farmer's field of bright orange and yellow mums around the corner as well as the persimons turning orange on my neighbor's tree. I love the bright orange flowering "kinmokusei" tree out of my front door.

    Thanks for reminding us to be thankful and look for the new blessings God has given for this new month.
    Susan

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  2. For me... I hate that the sun goes away and the gray sets in... I love that it means we start lighting our fire every day to keep warm (I love our fireplace).
    I hate that I feel cold non-stop from here till May. I love that I get to wear all my turtle necks and warm sweaters.

    I hate that we stay inside more as a family. I love those early dark nights, warm fire blazing and reading with my husband(tucked into my slippers and blanketed toes).

    Daylight savings... doesn't help much here... we are too far north. Whatever the clock says---simply put it is dark really early in the morning, AND dark really early in the evening...

    Thankfulness is a good place to begin each day!!

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  3. Hi, Susan. I love waking up in the wee hours of the morning (sans alarm occasionally) to find someone has already read and commented on a post.

    Silly me, I just realized that "Tim and Susan" is you, and here I had left a comment on your blog as though you were brand new to me. Haha.

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  4. I like that the hot, hot of summer is leaving and the cold of winter not yet here.

    I like that Oct. generally does not have big events so a 'normal routine' can be in place as much as we ever have a 'normal routine'.

    Fauche.

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  5. Stephanie, we must have been commenting at the same time, cause I totally missed yours. Yeah, I feel for those of you at the extreme latitudes where winter is so severe. Having a fireplace and being home together as a family sounds cozy. I am always grateful for the sunshine here - well, always when I'm not taking it for granted. Yes to Thankfulness!

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  6. Fauche, normally I would agree about October not having too many events, but this year the calendar is super full.

    So does anyone have any recurring nightmares like mine, or am I the only one?

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  7. Jamie Jo, I have recurring nightmares, but I can't seem to remember what they are about in the morning.

    October - I love October! It's my birthday month! Growing up in the mountains in PA, fall was always so brilliant! In FL, it means a little cooler weather. In Ukraine, it means winter is coming, and we enjoy the harvest celebrations!

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  8. Here in Turkey, I love the ending of the terribly hot summer (no central aircon here...) I love the blue sunny skies and crisp afternoons. Fall is the best season.

    I hate the fact that large sweet red peppers I eat all summer and wonderful peaches are now gone.

    Love school routine and earlier bedtime since Turks stay up late all summer, too hot to sleep!

    Hilarious dream, Jamie Jo. I never have them...

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  9. As usual, your responses make me smile (except for the sad parts, which of course don't). :) Happy birthday, dear Karen, and Olive, condolences on the loss of your peppers and peaches. So sad!

    Here in Mexico and Guatemala, too, I think, loquats (I think that's the word for them in English) or nisperos are ripe on the trees. Yum! They might sort of replace peaches with a bit of imagination.

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  10. Just so you know I awarded you (along with others) the "Versatile Blog award" on my blog.
    http://MemoirsofaMissionaryMom.blogspto.com/
    Play along if you would like, but feel more than free not too....Just wanted to stop by with a comment to say "I've enjoyed your blog".
    Blessings, Susan
    p.s. A.K.A. "Tim and Susan" (sorry for the confusion!)

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  11. It's the beginning of the end of our cool season, hate that.
    It's the month of Children's Day, kinda hate that cuz I never know exactly what to do or get for kids at church.
    Love that's it's still a little cool most nights but water from tap is warming up for baths!

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  12. I love October in Greece because the heat of summer has finally passed. Also, I can quit worrying about pedicures because sandal season is past!
    Love your writing!

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  13. I love October here in Iraq since it finally turns to fall.

    I hate it because we live in desert like conditions with 80 degree weather during the day and 50 (even 45 degrees) at night. Have to wear layers!

    I love the fruits that we get to eat and the green that finally comes back. Flowers really start to bloom now.

    I hate it because the sun does not stay on my mountain top house for very long and sun sets fast. Although it is perfect in the valley, we are cold for most of the day in the house!

    I love it that it starts to rain after a long rainless summer. I love it that I don't have to water my garden constantly.

    I love it because of my birthday too. :)

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