October, November and December herald my favorite time of the year. I’m all about Halloween, comfort food, sweater weather, rain, cozy blankets, hot chocolate and pumpkin spice everything. I, not only as a female but as a free American, would like to enjoy everything I love about autumn without people telling me I’m basic, typical, stupid or anything of that sort. If you’re making fun of me for enjoying myself, you don’t know how to enjoy the best time of the year.
I’ve been waiting for the leaves to fall and the winds to blow for quite some time. I’ve saved up all my Starbucks money and kept aside $100 to specifically buy pumpkin spice lattes this fall. And I swear, if I hear one more basic white girl joke I’ll summon any demons lurking around and feed you to them.
Do you know why I like pumpkin spice lattes? It’s not just for the seasonal aesthetic, but because they taste good. They taste like hot liquid pumpkin pie. If someone actually invented a hot liquid version of pumpkin pie that could be conveniently carried around, you wouldn’t make fun of them or call them basic. You’d think they were a genius.
Do you know why I like pumpkin spice-scented things? Because they smell good. Pumpkin spice and the scent of cinnamon remind me of home and Christmas and my grandma’s house. Honestly, if you’ve got a problem with the smell of Christmas time at my grandma’s house then you can take that up with her.
Do you know why I like sweaters? Because they’re warm and comfortable and more convenient than wearing the same two sweatshirts every day. It’s like a blanket that is always snug to my body. I’m often blamed for liking ugly holiday sweaters because they’re trendy. Well, joke’s on you because there’s no such thing as an ugly sweater. Ugly is relative, and just because it looks different or is more fun doesn’t make it ugly.
And don’t you dare tell me that I only like Halloween movies because of the aesthetic, because there is nothing aesthetically pleasing about Halloween movies. I like Halloween movies because they’re fun to mock. I like movies that portray old Halloween legends. And we mustn’t forget films like “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” You must admit, everyone can find something to love about Tim Burton.
These are only a few reasons why the autumn season is so enjoyable. So instead of making fun of people for enjoying pumpkin spice lattes or sweaters or cheesy holiday movies, try to focus on what autumn is really about: giving thanks for the harvest and the upcoming presents we’ll be receiving in two months. Give thanks for the things that matter, like family, friends, trees, good food, scary movies, awesome costumes and, yes, pumpkin spice lattes.