Social life will decline in fall

Autumn is different in the Midwest.

Especially coming from Wisconsin, it could often be a God-send. Living next to Lake Michigan meant that summers were humid and nearly unbearable. Winters are frigid, with enough snow to cancel school for any city south of the Mason-Dixon line. Spring brings a good temperature but is often bogged down by rain.

But fall, fall brings two to three of the only perfect weeks of weather throughout the entire year in Wisconsin.

Fall is about more than just a few good weeks of weather. It’s a time of change over. Fall is filled to the brim with death.

Normally the connotation of death is dark and grim. If you type death into Google, it brings up images that are black and gray with gravestones and the grim reaper.

The death in fall is different. It’s a beautiful death.

A prime example of death in the fall comes in the leaves.

On the surface, it’s clear how the death of leaves is beautiful. They change from green to bright and vibrant yellows, oranges and reds. Those of us who have yards may not care for them to be scattered all around their property, but unless you're colorblind, there will be some level of appreciation.

The beauty of dead leaves runs deeper than just the pretty aesthetic. It can bring back nostalgic memories of playing with neighbors and siblings after raking them into large piles. They will also decompose into the soil to help promote plant growth. There just are multiple ways to find beauty in their death.

There is also Dia de los Muertos, which is celebrated at the start of November. The Mexican holiday, which translates to Day of the Dead, is a day for family and friends to come together and remember those who have died.

The theme of death here is clear without any further explanation. A name like Day of the Dead would imply the holiday is full of somber mourning. It couldn’t be more opposite.

It is a day of celebration. Altars are adorned with bright colors like the orange Mexican marigold, photos, memorabilia and calaveritas or sugar skulls. Food is offered and consumed by the living. It truly is a beautiful holiday of death.

Then we roll around to the death of my social life. Friends can forget that I exist with how much of a recluse I become. If you want to schedule time with me in the fall, you better do it before 6 p.m. on a weekday.

Why? NCAA basketball begins.

The sport that keeps me going kicks off in early November. The sport that inspired me to become a sports journalist tips off.

Nothing else matters now. College basketball will now suck hours out of my week. At the time of writing this column, the first game tipped off 14 hours ago and I’ve already watched 10.5 hours worth of the sport.

I’ve seen IUPUI secure the best record in the NCAA with a 70-63 victory over Spalding. I watched Oregon outlast Georgia 82-71 in the first power five matchup of the season. I checked in on 2023 National Player of the Year Zach Edey as Purdue steamrolled Samford 98-45. I had my first split-screen situation to watch No. 4 Michigan State be upset by James Madison 79-76 in overtime while No. 21 USC took down Kansas State 82-69 in Las Vegas. During all of this I was texting friends back home about the Wisconsin-Arkansas State game that wasn’t televised. Finally, my night finished with mid-major basketball just past 2 a.m.

It truly is an obsession that will result in the death of my social life. But it’s worth it to consume the most beautiful sport to grace the globe.

So don’t hate autumn or mourn the death it brings. Celebrate it for all the beauty that comes with the season.