Come September, the season of maple leaves and modaks, a teacher of life lessons, arrives. In its own right, in its every signature sight.
Some sights are sure to announce the advent of September as certainly as mangoes do the summer, jamuns do the monsoon and so on. September, the harbinger of that hanging-ness, between loss and gain, between hope and pain. The month of all-consuming loss at the departure of dear Chausas. The month of hope as rosy as the Kinnauri and Kashmiri apples beginning to burst from Blinkit bags or pheriwallahs’ thelas.
The month of mourning the mogras, amaltas and gulmohars as they rent the air with their requiems. The month of rebirth as chrysanthemum saplings flash their first signs of life in Mother Nature’s maternity wards of winter. The month torn between war and peace. The annual war between weather gods and global warming, on whether September will belong to summer or winter, while making peace with the forces of climate change that ensure September will still be sultry and sullen, torn and temperamental in this battle of belongingness.
The September season schools us to hark back to the wisdom of one of the original exponents of the slowness core, Chinese philosopher Lin Yutang, “Those who are wise won’t be busy, those who are too busy can’t be wise.” The month mirrors this mood of the slowness trend that many Tweeple are embracing.
It spells an in-between-ness that hangs between the slackness of June-July and the upcoming hustle-bustle of festival season that October heralds. A hanging in-between that is so dear to votaries of slowness, of not knowing what’s next, of not caring what’s next.
{{/usCountry}}It spells an in-between-ness that hangs between the slackness of June-July and the upcoming hustle-bustle of festival season that October heralds. A hanging in-between that is so dear to votaries of slowness, of not knowing what’s next, of not caring what’s next.
{{/usCountry}}September is the season that tutors us in the thrills of slowness. Of scrambling out of the sleepiness of summer, albeit slowly. Fall is the time that teaches us the balancing act of living life on a trot, not the tearing hurry of October to December.
As one digs deep into the mound of maple leaves of memory, one realises how our nanis and dadis were the pioneer practitioners of the slowness movement. So refreshing thus to see Gen Z harking back to activities that spur the slowness trend. The fall season is already seeing Gen Zers perambulating into pottery studios to spend hours sculpting Ganeshas for the upcoming festival. How heartening to find the new generation switch from the fast lane to hop on to unhurried heritage walkathons, unexplored monument tours or to troop into terrarium and tray garden workshops. Really reminiscent of nanis-dadis spending unrushed hours tending to their patches of green, the quaint kitchen gardens or blooming boulevards.
September season is a masterclass in how to shed old skin, to fashion the way for new skin. A masterclass in renewal and rejuvenation. Such as shedding old habits or outdated skills, and acquiring a new skill, a new hobby.
Allure of apple orchards
Growing up near the hills meant a childhood spent making occasional trips to apple orchards of Himachal. It so spelt a life lesson taking those tours of terrace gardens laden with apples and autumn’s other fruits. Watching the apples being sorted did drive home what a fine, practised art it was. Sifting out spoiled fruit was a sight that comes back every Fall season as fresh apples flood roadside vendor carts.
Perhaps new-age habits and hobbies can be viewed from that lens of apple sorting.
Rosy apples are those digital-era habits, hobbies or lifestyles that we can keep. Such as many an app that has made life easy and delivers stuff at a finger’s snap.
Rotten apples are those habits or lifestyles that we need to toss out. The maple leaves that need to be shed for the sake of new skin. Such as sifting the synthetic-ism that has infiltrated our lives -- synthetic packaged foods to frozen fruits. Such as shedding habits of overdependence on social media or overindulgence in the consumerist culture.
Ah, but talking of apples and sheddings, an earnest confession. One thing that looks hard to shed, unlike September’s signature maple leaves, is the sinful overindulgence in a certain confectionery exotica.
The curious case of My Big Fat Dutch Apple Streusel Cheesecake Unshedding.
chetnakeer@yahoo.com