Season of the Which?

Time to get centered before the Holidays hit.

Where did the summer go? Between the storms, shootings, and skyrocketing infections, the past few months have taken its toll. Now it’s time to chill, literally, as the sun dims and nights get longer.

Autumn is a transition season, a time of brilliance and abundance leading to the dark of winter. The entire landscape changes over weeks, as various trees give up their leaves in successive waves of color. A reminder that even loss can be beautiful, perhaps, and also that life will go on. Bare branches will bloom again in spring, and until then remain safe from the elements.

Fall is a constant harvest, too; Nature goes to seed and drops all her fruit for us to gather. Such a great reminder that we reap what we sow. Also an important opportunity to reflect on the last year, specifically: What do we have to show for it? And how do we feel about that? There are still a few months left in 2021 to reach any goals we’ve set for ourselves. 

For a short window, we’ll be suspended between summer’s glare and winter’s gloom, in a seasonal lull after vacations but before the Holidays. If we choose, we can lean into this stillness, and hear what our inner voice may be trying to tell us. This down time creates a opportunity to shed negativity, bad habits, toxic relationships, etc. like old foliage.

Autumn teaches us to let go of shallow trappings, and look within to the roots that ground and sustain. And the currents that connect us with each other as humans sharing a time, place and community.

Learn more in your Local paper! Make sure you track down October’s edition, where Ria’s mood wheel lights up the cover, and kicks off this month’s varied collection of grassroots news and neighborhood commentary.

Look inside:

  • FLOOD PICS FROM HURRICANE IDA: Plus a WHYY exclusive about the issue of outdated FEMA maps and building codes. And a Billy Penn investigation into issues with 911 in the city!
  • PURPLE QUEEN ON THE SCENE: Update on the Mayor’s gun violence response with grassroots radio royalty.
  • SOWN MUCH FUN: Seniors share memories from Halloweens “way back when” (plus our salute to vintage candy)
  • CALENDAR: Featured events from Quizzo nights to book signings plus markets, pop-ups, and other fun stuff.
  • REGULAR FEATURES including Ask Athena’s advice on baby names, Dr. Woodson’s column on gender identity. Calendar, trivia, crime report and real estate rundown. Plus perennial reader favorite: Missed Connections.

ABOUT OCTOBER’S COVER:

With gun violence at all-time high, COVID cases on the rise, hospital beds at full capacity, school closure every other week, overworked and underpaid employees trying to do the best they can, new day racism, and uncertainty on the future – we can find ourselves numb, distracted, and fully detached from the world around us. While we recognize and acknowledge the importance of mental health, let’s not forget emotional wellness. How are you really feeling today?

Comment below, if you wish, and please check out Ria’s photography on her website capturedbyriag.com, where she’s arranged her favorite stand-outs into three categories: performances, events and portraits. She’s got a thing for candid shots, and a real knack for catching the action at just the right moment.

Keep an eye on Ria’s Insta, too: @captured.by.ria — she’s always posting interesting stuff: podcasts, parties, photoshoots Stay tuned at the Local, always, for more from this multi-talented neighbor.

VIEW THE LOCAL ONLINE HERE Pro Tip: It’s even cooler in print. Find The Local paper at shops, markets, libraries, waiting rooms, cafes, laundromats, universities, etc. in East Falls, Germantown and other random spots in NW Philly (and beyond). 

Yes! We still offer free delivery (I think Steve just likes to get out and drive around). Email editor@nwlocalpaper.com with your address and how many copies you’d like — many readers distribute a stack to their whole block as a way to check in on neighbors, and we’re more than happy to accommodate.  

Thank you for supporting free independent community press!

View last month’s cover feature HERE.

About Sheria Gregory 7 Articles
Sheria Gregory is a professional photographer (the owner of Captured by Ria G) and a burgeoning illustrator. Photography is her first love. She specializes in event and wedding photography because she loves the authenticity of the candid style of shooting. She’s always viewed herself as a doodler when it comes to drawing, so illustrator is a new title for her. With two children’s books among her illustrator credits, she’s gaining momentum in that medium. She describes herself as a free-spirited creative that enjoys trying her hand at different forms of art.

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