Artwork by Sean Mayer
Josi Patti ‘27
RIPE EDITOR
To all the lovely people who enjoy the season of fall immensely-maybe even having too vast of an infatuation with this time of the year, I presenting the following.
While fall is a new beginning, and the feeling of crisp, autumn weather is tempting, it doesn’t necessarily make me want to go to Walmart and buy five oversized Halloween Snoopies for my yard. I love admiring the trees, as they change from astounding hues of green to orange and begin to fall on my driveway. Yet, this task is extremely difficult to observe when a colossal skeleton from your neighbor’s house blocks the view. Sometimes a moment of appreciation for nature becomes ruined by the clustered trinkets; who can separate alive from fake? I especially love it when I’m blissfully taking a walk around the block and, to my surprise, get jumpscared by the animated witch statue creeping behind me.
I mean, seriously, you never know when you’ll run like a banshee from a horrifying decoration, dragging your dog along with you and screaming at an unrecognizable decibel from these automated sculptures.
It’s one thing to have a scenic seasonal display on your front step, but to take it as far as buying out the whole Spirit Halloween and chucking it on your lawn is another. From blow-up pumpkins, string lights galore, ghosts hanging from trees, and that one creepy clown that everyone fears will come to life, these people should genuinely consider getting a PhD in architecture. I truly commend their acquired skills that go into the amount of mapping and surveying of land just for assembling the direction of decorations.
Don’t get me wrong; I am not one for being a damper on the spirit; I hope I never become the mean lady who turns her lights off and shuts the door for Trick-or-Treaters. However, what comes after fall brings a whole new world of decor. I’m willing to bet that some of you haven’t put much thought towards the when’s or how’s of deflating those Snoopies and Pumpkins, tackling the tree of Halloween lights or worrying about where to store that massive skeleton for next year. I’m sure you’ll leave it up for months after the harvest period is over. They’ll carry into Christmas, then maybe into New Year's. Just remember: procrastination is understandable, but upset neighbors are not. Avoid the Karens and HOA, and just go with simplicity for your fall decorations. It’s an easier way of showing spirit mixed with efficiency. Or don't: after all, what would fall be without some kid crying on Halloween from a mysterious spirit grabbing them anyway?
