September, for me, is this odd mix of ends and beginnings; the summer draws to a close, fall colours begin to come out shepparding in the fall season. It also marks the switch over to pumpkin spice lattes, and well … pumpkin spice everything (we won’t get into that). It’s also a time for new beginnings for kids starting the new school year along with all the changes that brings. It’s a great time for fresh starts and clean slates.
The typical time for resolutions usually is on January 1st, but September makes a good month for it as well. There is a very distinct change about this season that is very abrupt. School starting up marks that change pretty clearly. This year is a little different with the Covid pandemic still ongoing. We’ve had to make some adjustments, but our daughter is back at school, mask and all. She’s actually very excited to be back at school with her friends and not at home with her parents, apparently a very welcome change. That was a message most kids were giving; while distance learning is definitely an option, the classroom interactions are obviously essential.
Along with masks, there are a few changes to the routine, including A LOT of hand washing and clothing changes. But This is a very welcome change to the routine; we just need to get used to it.
Another change that has to begin is getting back to work, I had the summer off by choice, and now it’s time to get back to the working world. It was a great experience spending time both with my daughter and with my own thoughts this summer; maybe I’ll even write about them someday. The reality of it is punctuated by the leaves outside my window, starting to become more yellow than green.
In anticipation of the fact that I will be spending a lot more time in front of the computer, the home to-do list has been a key focus. Many of the things on that list have been addressed, and my home office has been prepped (mostly). It’s interesting how important a home office has become in the past few months, where before, they were nothing more than nice to have items. Spending a little money and elbow grease goes a long way to making your workspace that much more pleasant, and I appreciate the house we have that much more this fall.
As the new routine settles in, more and more items will become more rote over the coming weeks but remember, you don’t need a specific day to turn over a new leaf, even if currently that leaf is starting to turn yellow.
Does the changeover in the fall bring with it resolutions and change? Or does it signal the end of summer and mumblings of winter is coming?
Side note: This site is now officially over 14 years old, started in September 2006.
Thanks to Hassi Clicks for sharing their work on Unsplash.
That’s what I noticed as well with my younger students: most of them, even the ones with a wonderful home life and great parents, are eager to go back to school. Let’s hope they keep that enthusiasm!
Personally, I have started doing some in-person sessions twice a week again, which is going well. 2 days in person, 3 days at home works well for me. These changes have definitely made me appreciate the importance of a great home working space, as well.
P.S.: Thanks for the feature on your newsletter!
The enthusiasm is great, it really reminds me how important that in-person connection is. Glad that you’re managing to find a good balance between in-person and working from home. When we all get back to a normal state I think we will all find that working at an office will not likely be an all the time thing anymore.
A home working space will, I think, become part of a lot of homes going forward.