AH! HERE’S OCTOBER!

By Edwin Cooney

In the midst of controversial and momentous national decisions and events, sometimes it’s refreshing to be frivolous. So, here goes!

I really like it when October rolls around. Even though Thanksgiving (my favorite annual holiday), Christmas, and New Year’s Day all loom with promises of happy gatherings and gifts of love and mutual goodwill, October remains for me the happiest time of the year. The reason is simple: October is for me a month of eventful anticipation. October is crammed full of enjoyable events, zesty tastes and smells, crispy sounds, and stimulating textures along with the anticipation of the happy holidays in November, December and January that are just ahead.

What better feeling is there than happy anticipation? Anticipation, as I see it, is that invigorating force that energizes the mind and spirit sufficiently enabling you and me to derive meaning from our lives. Additionally, October is the first really serious month of the Fall season. September is gentle, but in October, fall gets brisker without giving in to winter. In the Northeast and upper Midwest there is the fall foliage. Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving Day holiday the second Monday in October and all of North America celebrates throughout the month with hayrides, October fests and, finally, Halloween.

Six American presidents have October birthdays, more than in any other month:

Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924 -- the first president born in a hospital;
Rutherford B. Hayes was born on October 4, 1822 -- the second president born in Ohio;
Chester Alan Arthur was born on October 5, 1829 -- although Arthur was born in Fairfield, Vermont, his American place of birth was as controversial as President Obama’s is with political opponents;
Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890 -- the first president born in Texas (sorry, LBJ!);
Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858 -- the only president born in New York City);
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 -- the first president born in Massachusetts.

October means shakedown time for NFL upstarts, the opening of the basketball and hockey seasons, and, of course, the baseball playoffs and World Series. Of course, the “World Series” has never really been a “world” series except the times when Canada’s Toronto Blue Jays played and won the 1992 and 1993 World Series over Atlanta and Philadelphia respectively.

Like every other month, October has had its momentous occasions. In 1964, the Soviet Politburo wrenched power from Nikita Khrushchev sending him into forced retirement and replacing him with Leonid Brezhnev. That same October of 1964, the Chinese government exploded its first atomic bomb while, in Britain, Labor Party leader Harold Wilson defeated Conservative Party leader Sir Alec Douglas-Holme thus becoming Labor’s second Prime Minister.

On Friday, October 4, 1957, while the attention of most Americans was focused on the New York Yankees/Milwaukee Braves World Series (which that day was tied at one game apiece), Russia seemed to rock the soul of America by beating her into space with the launching of Sputnik One. Much of the population was suffering from an “Asian flu” epidemic at the time, but that was no excuse. Not even President Eisenhower, popular as he was, could convince most Americans that Russia’s success in space wasn’t as serious to our national security as many feared. Of course, Ike knew we were spying on the Soviets with the CIA’s U-2 flight program, but naturally, “mum” had to be the word on that!

Of course, every month has something to offer. April showers do bring May flowers and June is the month for brides and grooms. The Ides of March still hold drama and mystery for those on the verge of making big decisions, especially political or life-changing ones. January is always new and February is the month for candy and Valentine’s Day hugs and kisses. July is our national birthday and August is vacation month for many. September brings the new school year and television season, while November and December provide festivals of gratitude to nature and nature’s God for our many blessings.

For me, however, it’s October that stands head and shoulders above all other months on the calendar. October sweeps away the past and invites the future. The senses, sounds and smells of October are crisp as if to awaken us sufficiently to grapple with Jack Frost who will soon be making his entrance.

Mostly, however, there is that invigorating sense of anticipation which assures me that there exists a sufficient supply of strength, energy and wisdom to carry you, me and all we cherish through to those beckoning Octobers yet to come.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY