In the late fall, many of us are prone to depression that is traceable to the changing of seasons. We become more sedentary as the days become shorter and colder. But, one incident in particular this fall lightened my mood. The squirrels are manically laboring over burying the acorns the numerous oak trees on the quad have scattered. We have all done it: adjusting our steps to crush those same acorns. I was busy walking/crushing when I saw an older man in front of me. He was not following the accepted social norm of making your gait slightly more awkward to crush a few acorns. He was leaping from acorn to acorn in an apparent attempt to crush each one in his path. The absurdity of an adult – old enough to be my grandfather – engaging in this activity compelled me to chuckle as I walked away. A glance back at the man and he had stopped stomping – probably out of embarrassment.

Reflecting on the situation, I am sad that I might have diminished a source of pleasure in that man’s day. But, his actions left me with an invaluable lesson: we should all cling to the simple joys in life, even if they may seem silly to others.

Gaines Rowe is a freshman majoring in accounting.