It’s the height of fall foliage season, and the perfect time to enjoy all that Western New York has to offer. From hikes to festivals and farm markets, crisp air and crisp apples, amazing hues of orange, yellow, red, and gold, fall somehow makes us all feel more alive.
We also cannot overlook what the smell of cinnamon, spice, and pumpkin does to our senses in fall. According to LiveScience, the fact that many families typically consume pumpkin pie and other similarly spiced treats in the fall, creates an association with these smells and the upcoming holidays. “That smell association then taps into our sense of nostalgia, reminding us of times we helped bake pumpkin pies during Thanksgiving,” says Catherine Franssen, assistant professor of biopsychology and director of neuro-studies at Longwood University in Virginia. Franssen explains that smell is the only one of our senses that is transmitted directly to amygdala (the emotional center of our brain).
As with any other new season, fall brings about changes in our lives and our perspectives. In reflecting on the events of the past several months, I want to thank all of the sponsors who have made it possible for us to televise our bi-monthly community conversations on WBBZ-ME-TV that began immediately following the May 14 shooting. I also want to thank all of you who have called us asking for the show to continue. To date, we have talked about family beliefs and prejudice, growing up Black in Buffalo, raising African American boys and men, affordable housing, monkey pox, and more. See page 37 for October’s topics, which include opioids, the new bivalent vaccine, mental health, stigma, and misinformation.
For many of us, the past few years have held significant challenges. Still, it is good to be alive, and good to face each new season with promise, resilience and hope in our hearts.
Enjoy October,
Annette
