The Magic and Beauty of Fall

DUKES FANS: The Continual Beauty of the Fall Autumn 2024 came into the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday, September 22 at 8:44 AM Eastern Standard Time. That is when summer officially ended and our Hemisphere began gradually moving into that time of shorter daylight, cooler weather, the movement of butterflies, birds and other wildlife species across state lines, and the slow, steady emergence of remarkable shades of color on thousands of trees, flowers, and shrubs. It is a magical time. This region has approximately equal amounts of time in each of the four seasons, and I love each of them. But spring and fall are my favorites. They both make me super aware of and grateful for the way the natural world around us can announce itself. Spring, like fall, is about big color changes in our surroundings, the movement of animals, and changes in their color. The difference, though, is that spring is bright; it seems somewhat flashier, quicker, and louder. The changes seem to happen more rapidly and more intensely. Fall, on the other hand, is more subdued; it is slower, quieter. I love them both, but this is the time that I resonate with that slower and quieter feel of autumn. Over the next month or so I will have the time to fully take in and experience the changes just as they happen. I can delight in how a given street, or yard, or tree or a particular garden gradually makes its way quietly through these changes. And then, suddenly, there is a whole new landscape in front of me-differently colored trees and bushes, longer hours of darkness, and the arrival of more differently colored birds. It is a subtler process than spring, but both of them present me with changed worlds. Fall is always magical to me; it never fails to re-awaken my joy and wonder in my surroundings. It was not always like this for me; when I was younger, fall had not really been a “special” time to me. It was nice, but it was not “special.” That all changed one October when I was 20 and taking a trip to visit friends in Rhode Island. I was riding the old Penn Central rail line from Philly to Providence, RI., and a few seats in front of me was a couple that was apparently super-excited about the trip. They kept getting out of their seats, walking to one side of the train and then the other, looking out the windows, and “oohing” and “ahhiing.” I watched this for a bit and was mystified. It was just a train trip, after all; what was the big deal? So I went up to them and asked what was going on; why were they going through all of this running around and looking out the windows? The man looked at me and said, “We’re from Los Angeles. This is our first time East-we have never seen fall before! We read about it and saw some photos, but this is our first time actually seeing it! It is incredible!” Just then the train was crossing the Connecticut River. Looking down, the view that hit our eyes was an unbelievable riot of all different shades of oranges, reds, greens, and yellow. And through their eyes I suddenly awoke to a new appreciation of the season. That trip started my revised relationship with autumn. I spent the rest of the train ride marveling at the beauty outside the train window, and by the time I reached Providence I was hooked on fall. I still revel in the fall. I still feel all the beauty and can express gratitude and amazement as I once again realize what this world presents me with the gifts that are there just waiting for me when I take the time to notice and appreciate them. Happy Autumn, everyone. Enjoy and experience the beauty and wonder of the mid-Atlantic fall.

Thank You!

DUKES FANS: “Sometimes, the best thing to say is to say nothing” Anonymous Those of you who have been on the Dukes’ mailing list for a while know that I like to share thoughts, ideas, questions, and observation about a whole bunch of things. I often talk about experiences that I have had in particular places that have wowed me, particular books, music, and musicians that I love, experiences with the weather, and much, much more. This week, however, I have nothing special to say. Nada. Zip. Nothing. No, nothing is wrong; there are no problems. I simply do not have much to say about anything this week that seems to merit being in this newsletter. Except to thank all of you who show up at Dukes’ gigs and concerts and have done so for over 38 years. And to say, to “Thank you” to those of you who have signed up for these e-mails. Sometimes a sincere, “Thank you” is more than enough to say. So, “Thank you!” (If you do want to read some of my thoughts and ramblings over the years, please feel free to check the “John’s Blog” section of our website: www.dukesofdestiny.com And note that the website is in the process of being updated. I will let everyone know when the updates are complete.)

The Importance of Voting

DUKES FANS: “Buddy, you have to vote in every election. Every one. People died so you could get this right, and if you don’t vote, then you are spitting on their graves Ruth Davis That is what my mother said to me when I was a kid and she would take me into the voting booth with her. Voting was almost a sacred ritual to Ruth Davis. My family was a working- class African-American family, and I was born after WWII. This was at the start of the postwar rise of the suburbs, the rise of the middle class, and the beginning of the social upheavals of the 1960’s- the Woman’s Movement, the counter-culture, and of course, the Civil Rights Movement. Both of my parents were Southern-born, and they lived through Jim Crow segregation, Ku Klux Klan violence, and limited economic opportunities for Blacks.We subscribed to the Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia’s black newspaper, Ebony magazine, and the Evening Bulletin newspaper. Our church held voting registration drives and took part in marches and demonstrations to, among other things , get Pepsi Cola to award franchises to Black beverage distributors. I grew up in a family that read about, talked about, and took part in important social and political issues. Mom and Dad wanted their kids to live in a world that offered more opportunities for their children than they had as they were growing up. So it was not a surprise that in high school I participated in numerous Civil Rights and Anti-Viet Nam War marches and protests. The voting age at that time was 21, and I used to stand on street corners with petitions calling for the voting age to be lowered to 18. At 18 we had to register for the military draft and could be sent off to Viet Nam; many of us thought we ought to at least have a say in picking who it might be the one who would send us there. In 1971 the 26th Amendment was passed, and the 1972 Presidential election was the first one in which 18 year- olds could cast a vote. I proudly voted in that election, and I have voted in every election since. I was not going to be spitting on any graves. I say all of this to urge people to register to vote in the upcoming November election and then to show up and actually vote. If you have paid even cursory attention to the news this year, you know that this is not only an unusual election but a supremely important one. This election may well be the one that determines the future structure, powers, functions, and direction that our republic will take for at least the next decade or so. It is vitally important that everyone who is legally able to do so register and then vote to have a say in this process. It is one of our opportunities and duties as a citizen. If you do not like the outcome but did not vote, to me you have no right to complain. Registration deadlines for the tri-state area are October 12th for Delaware, October15th for New Jersey, and Oct 21st for Pennsylvania. And if you are registered, it would probably be a good idea to check to make sure your registration is in order, especially if you have not voted in a while. Some states have removed people from the voter rolls, and they have not necessarily informed everyone who has been removed. Here is a link to a site that can help you find important registration and voting information: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/info-2024/state-voting-guides.html I hope you all participate in this process; it is essential to our republic remaining a republic.