It’s better to burn out than to fade away. That’s what the torn-jeans-and-flannelette-shirt-loving North American rocker Neil Young famously reckoned in ‘Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)’. Regrettably, some of our number, including grunge god Kurt Cobain, have taken the wisdom to heart – it’s better to go out with an almighty bang than to age gracefully. Or disgracefully, as the Ulysses Motorcycle Club likes to have it.
As odd as it might sound, recently I’ve been thinking that Neil Young may actually have been referring to autumn, though being a Canadian he’d call it ‘fall’. Let me explain.
As everyone knows, autumn is officially the best season, especially if you’re lucky enough to live in or around the Australian Capital Territory. Have you seen a better sky than the one we get at this time of year? It’s almost always as blue as a Sunday afternoon. Plus there’s a hint – or promise – of frost.
We can pull the second doona down from the cupboard and feel its comforting weight on our lap and legs. The heaters are given a run: the smell of burning dust, which reminds us that those with the neatest, cleanest homes really do have the dullest lives. And for those who are fortunate to live in an older house there’s the pièce de résistance: an open fire at 6pm, the gorgeous dry heat, the soft crinkle of the last of the coals as we stagger to bed. I could go on, and give me half an opportunity I will.
Except there’s this: autumn isn’t all sweetness and light. The word ‘autumn’ may derive from the Latin ‘autumnus’, which may or may not mean – or refer to – ‘harvest’, but it’s also a time of darkness.
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Keep reading at the Canberra Times, which published this piece on Monday 19 May 2014. For the first time in 20 years, something I wrote resulted in a letter of complaint to the editor. It’s a polite letter, mind.
16 comments
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May 23, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Margaret Puls
Nice! Coming from Brisbane we have no autumn or darkness. Instead nature blesses us with unusual politicians.
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Nigel Featherstone
Hi Margaret, good to hear from you. So very sorry to hear of your unusual politicians. Seems we’re all suffering from that problem. Perhaps there’s a plague?
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Margaret Puls
Joh, Barnaby, Clive. I could go on.
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Gabrielle Bryden
You only got one letter of complaint 😉 hahaha a very brave man you are Nigel! Autumn is my favourite time of year, but it is just not getting cold enough this time around – we love to have a fire that’s for sure (our kids think we are pyromaniacs the way we plan and attack our fire in the fireplace)
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Nigel Featherstone
There’s a fine line been brave and ridiculous, Gabe! Glad you love autumn, but so sorry about the lack of cold, meaning lack of fire. Fire is one of the best things about being alive.
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Michele Seminara
You almost made me feel fondly towards the cold with this one, Nigel. Almost!
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Nigel Featherstone
Michele, you’ve given me a mission: make you feel fondly towards the cold. A mission impossible? I don’t think so.
May 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Nigel Featherstone
Margaret, they do tend to breed them interesting up north, don’t they!
May 26, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Tristan
Great piece, Nigel. It was also brave (when having a bit of the dig at the status quo is considered “brave” you know things have gotten pretty bloody conservative). On a side note – ideologically I couldn’t agree more about the public holiday bullshit, but being an office worker I still cop ’em sweet. If I were king, in the hope of finding a happy medium, I’d declare a regular day off for people to do as they wish – if that happened to be privately worshipping imaginary beings then whatevs. Congratulations on the hate mail – surely that’s a bit of a milestone in the writing life!
May 27, 2014 at 9:16+00:00May
Nigel Featherstone
Hi Tristan, glad this resonated. And you’re right: it’s interesting that a piece as gentle as this (surely it’s gentle?) ruffles a few feathers. And you’re not the first person to say that a newspaper I write for receiving a letter of complaint is some kind of milestone for me! As to your idea of Australia having a legislated regular day off for people to do as they wish – brilliant. Perhaps it could replace all the religion-based holidays?
June 2, 2014 at 9:16+00:00Jun
whisperinggums
Great piece Nigel. I love your conclusion that “The first priority of a mature first-world nation is to be a good global citizen.” Amen to that! (Ha!)
Was the letter to the editor about the thin man or the Aussie-flag-two-up day?
June 3, 2014 at 9:16+00:00Jun
Nigel Featherstone
Hi Sue, the letter to the editor took issue with the ‘anti-Christian’ stance of the piece, though perhaps the correspondent missed that I was actually making observations about how one particular religious public holiday – Easter – is celebrated in the broader community, rather than the ‘original’ meaning…though, I must admit, I had a bit of fun with that too.
June 3, 2014 at 9:16+00:00Jun
whisperinggums
People like that tend not to sees the nuances I think!
June 4, 2014 at 9:16+00:00Jun
Nigel Featherstone
Agreed!
June 10, 2014 at 9:16+00:00Jun
Geoff
I do love autumn in the Territory. The crunch of fallen leaves and the unsteadiness of rolling acorns underfoot. An evocative piece as always Nigel 🙂
In other news, my blog has moved to its new home at geoffreydunn.com.au… the link on your roll will continue to work for a little while as I have harnessed the power of internet redirect but soon it will fade like the aptly described crinkling embers before bedtime 🙂
Geoff
July 24, 2014 at 9:16+00:00Jul
Nigel Featherstone
Hi Geoff, thanks very much for your thoughts on autumn. It really is a brilliant season, isn’t it, perhaps made better by the fact that winter isn’t far away. And thanks for the updated link to your new website – update made.