Happily saying hello to autum
I know, I know, I spent most of my column last week complaining about having to wave goodbye to summer. But even I have to admit that the autumn season gets me a little pumped up. The hot and humid summer days are coming to an end, and the weekends are filled with watching local high school and college football games, and enjoying a whole afternoon of NFL action on the tube – along with eating a rather large portion of wings, fries and other football-watching delicacies – on Sundays. (I know I should take these times to get out and exercise while the weather is still nice, but who has time for that when there are wings to eat and football to watch?) I don’t know why, but to me nothing beats the atmosphere of attending a local football game. Hearing the marching band play, smelling the familiar and pleasant aromas of popcorn and hot chocolate, feeling the emotions of the fired-up crowd, watching an exciting game unfold, getting caught up into the drama and intensity as the game’s final minutes and seconds wind down…It’s an adrenaline rush that’s tough to beat. I strongly encourage everyone to get out on the weekends this fall and go support your favorite team…You won’t regret it.
I think the reason why I enjoy football so much is because I remember how much fun I had all those years ago when I was growing up on the north side of Waynesburg, playing football at “Bowlby Field.” The field was a small grassy area next to the Eva K. Bowlby Library, and there was a ragtag group of us kids that practically lived there, playing our hearts out until it was too dark to see the ball, or until our mothers called us in to do our homework.
Looking back, I admit that I am quite shocked at how vividly – and fondly – I remember those days, more than three long decades ago…it didn’t matter how many kids showed up, we always paired off into two teams, drew plays in the dirt with sticks and had fun.
We didn’t wear helmets or pads, and sometimes we got hurt, but we always came back the next day, ready for another battle. We were all good friends, happily beating the stuffing out of one another, for the love of the sport.
Man, those were good times. And every now and then I think about calling up some of the guys from the ol’ gang and having ourselves a friendly game, for old times sake. But then I remind myself that I am now 40 years old and out of shape, and that playing a game of tackle football might cause me to break my typing/writing hands. And then, for just a split second, I can hear the voice of Steve from 30 years ago calling me every name in the book for being such a wimp.
Oh, to be young again…
…Anyway, before I get too depressed, let me go back to talking about the many reasons why I love the fall season. I also love autumn because it’s the time of year when me and a group of daredevils travel to Cedar Point for a traditional weekend of thrilling throwup rides that test our nerves and stomachs. There is nothing better than spending a few days in the fall riding some of the scariest and craziest contraptions of fear mankind has ever built, and the rides at Cedar Point have never disappointed us. From the fun of the old wooden coasters like the Mean Streak to the modern-day fury of rides like the Raptor and the Mantis, there is never a shortage of thrills at Cedar Point, which now boasts more than 60 rides, including the newest coaster, the Maverick, which we have yet to ride.
(Of course, we can’t wait to ride two of the park’s scariest and craziest rides, the Top Thrill Dragster and the Millennium Force. The Dragster is one big hill, angled at 90 degrees, with a vertical drop of 400-plus feet in a car that reaches speeds of 120 miles per hour in less than four seconds. The Force is also a contraption of pure fear, a ride where the first hill plunges 310 feet at a speed of 92 miles per hour, and there are no shoulder harnesses, only a little safety bar.)
You know, it is one of my biggest fears that as I get older there will come a time when I am not able to enjoy these rides any longer, and that really scares me. Riding coasters always makes me feel like a giddy kid, and I hope that growing old never takes that feeling of awe and wonder away from me. I hope when I’m 90 I’m still able to enjoy the Top Thrill Dragster; I just hope if I am riding it that my dentures don’t fly out and smack someone in the face…
You know what else I love about the fall? It’s Halloween season, which always has been my favorite holiday of the year. And what’s not to love? It’s all about wearing great costumes, eating tons of candy, watching scary movies and visiting some really frightening haunted attractions. Each Halloween, my wife and I look forward to traveling to many local haunted spots, including the Moundsville State Penitentiary, Kennywood’s Phantom Fright Nights, the Hundred Acres Manor in South Park, and of course, the legendary Fright Farm in Smithfield.
There are also tons of unique local events that pop up during the autumn months, including the Covered Bridge Festival and the Harvest Festival. (Look for more information – as well as in-depth coverage – about these and other upcoming events in future issues of the Messenger.)
Autumn in Greene County? You gotta love it…