“One wonders that the tithing-men and fathers of the town are not out to see what the trees mean by their high colors and exuberance of spirits, fearing that some mischief is brewing.”
- Henry David Thoreau, Journal Oct. 7, 1857″
Mischief, indeed! October wouldn’t be what it is without a bit of mischief and impish behavior. Most of the year the trees remain their stout, stoic green yet this month they begin their impish display of changing colors, in a wild fall-fest to see who can outdo whom. And need I remind everyone that the end of this month brings the grandest of all impish behaviors? All Hallow’s Eve is the night for imps of all sizes to flex their feisty wits and trick us as they wont.
I confess to having an impish mind at times, delighting in the occasional barb or trick to make myself and others laugh. And while issues of late make things less than funny most of the time, there’s nothing like a well-placed tease or verbal torture to wring a smile out of a seemingly lifeless face. Like a good sneeze, grinning just feels so damn good. I don’t know why more people don’t try this holistic remedy to what ails ya, but I guess some people can’t let go of taking life too seriously. When that starts to happen, you know that trouble is not far away.
Gary Varner
Inkmusings
Image: © 2004 GV
