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u know how every now and then you will hear a sentence or a collection of words that is just so beautiful it makes you wish you had written it? Just me? How about this lovely sentiment by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall”? Although Fitz refers to Long Island, N.Y., and not Starkville, I maintain there is something about golden leaves and soft, sweet autumn air that can make any town feel special.
1. Starkville trees are some of the most vividly colored I have seen. I’m no botanist, but I know a thing or two about how great the yellow-leafed trees on engineering row look against the bright blue sky. My personal favorite Mississippi State University trees can be found in front of Middleton Hall and Howell Hall (Middleton is on engineering row, and Howell is the art building near the coliseum). There’s also a particularly gigantic tree in one of the fields across from the chapel on the north side of campus. Any one of these trees is perfect to spread out a quilt beneath and read that Faulkner novel you’ve been trying to complete since August. Don’t forget to drop by the union and grab a pumpkin spice latte for a mere $4.01 to complete the picture.
2. If fall were an article of clothing, it would be that warm, soft flannel shirt that probably belonged to your grandfather or your ex-boyfriend that you just can’t bear to throw out. Fall is familiar. It’s comfortable. It’s inviting, and the contradictory warmth that accompanies the drop in temperature is all encompassed in that one shirt. By the time the weather changes, I am all too ready to box up my tank tops and pull out my scarves. I could write entire volumes of poetry in honor of my button-downs and Levi’s. Fashion is just easier in the fall. It’s casual yet classic. And don’t even get me started on the heart flutters that accompany the right pair of corduroy pants paired with the right cardigan on the right boy.
3. After growing up in an Alabama city without much of a downtown area, I have come to absolutely adore Main Street strolls in Starkville. With a coffee shop, a bookstore and quite a few trendy boutiques within walking distance, it’s like autumnal paradise is always just around the corner. Walks are better in the fall, and so are friends. You just want to hang out with each other more when you’re all wearing knit sweaters. Gather your friends, and hold them close as the days slip by. Wrap them up in your best quilts, and let the nights grow longer as your company grows finer.
