The difference between Autumn and Fall

You might think that autumn and fall are the same thing but they are not. Autumn is russet and gold and roughly three days long. Fall is winter without snow and goes on interminably.

Today, while not as wet as yesterday, is just as gray and indolent. It also has something more, at least for me.

It has the first suggestion of the season of illness. I sense the approach of a cold/flu thing and I’m not happy about it.

As an aside, I see where Environment Canada is making predictions about the approaching winter:

"What we're saying is from Vancouver to Thunder Bay, Ont., that western part of Canada is looking like it'll be warmer than normal, so it's a continuation of what the fall has been like," says senior climatologist David Phillips.

Frankly, the thought of a continuation of days like yesterday and today is not a comforting one. I am not a fan of wishy-washy seasons. Be one thing or another – hot and sweaty humid or snowy white and icy. Fall is the suburbs of seasons – just damn bland.

But getting back to where I was headed …

Despite yesterday being an utter doze of a day (everyone I spoke to had slept in late, taken naps and had little if any inclination to move past their front door), I kept waking up all night. So … not a good night’s sleep.

I ache all over today. I have the suggestion of a cold sore in my mouth – not an actual cold sore, just the whisper of one. It seems to say, “Look bucko – this may be what you get to live with tomorrow. Or not. I haven’t decided yet.”

The upshot of it all is that today I feel extremely disagreeable. Cranky. Bitchy.

I don’t like being this way. I don’t like this sense of disliking just about everything even though there’s really no reason for feeling that way – except for the thought I may be blowing my nose, sneezing and coughing tomorrow. Or something like that.

I hope today is just a warning. Just a little note from the viruses of the world that it’s their season to shine now and they may choose me at any moment. But why is this their season? What is it about fall and winter that brings every cold and flu out of the woodwork? Are they a hockey team or something?

Tag: Fall, Autumn, Flu, Cold