Fall arrives at 10:29 p.m. ET on Monday, September 22 this year. For many cultures, this time of year is seen as a period of transition, as the northern hemisphere progresses toward the winter solstice and the southern hemisphere looks forward to the summer season. And throughout history, the autumnal equinox in our half of the world has been observed as a time of preparation and reflection.
In Greek mythology, the autumn equinox marks the return of Persephone to the underworld to be with her husband Hades, where she must return after walking the Earth for half the year as the goddess of spring growth.
In China, the Moon Festival celebrates the harvest during the 15th full moon of the Chinese Year, which falls around the autumn equinox. In Japan, Buddhists observe higan, a memorial service when people visit family graves to comfort their ancestors’ spirits.
The arrival of the autumn equinox is also evidenced in the animal kingdom, especially in the migratory flight of many species of birds. It is during this time that the Arctic Tern makes its annual 11,000 mile trip south and the Bar-Headed Goose soars to heights above 28,000 feet (that’s over five miles up!) as they skim over the Himalayas on their way to warmer climes.
And we find ourselves doing our own part during this time of transition, preparation and reflection as we begin preparing our lawns and gardens for the change in seasons, pulling out our winter clothing from storage, and enjoying body-warming and soul-stirring soups and stews.
Yes, the arrival of autumn is indeed a time of change. I hope the return of cooler weather, longer nights and the anticipation of the upcoming holiday season finds you happy and healthy.
David R. McPhillips, OD, FVI
PS- If you are attending the upcoming Academy of Optometry meeting in beautiful New Orleans, please try to attend the VOSH International Annual Meeting, sponsored by National Vision. The festivities start on October 8 when we honor World Sight Day by providing eye exams and eyeglasses during an outreach campaign in the 9th district from 8am-4pm. Friday evening from 5pm-630pm we honor all Fellows of VOSH International at our Welcome reception at the Marriot Renaissance Arts Hotel. The event is sponsored by SmartVision Labs and all are welcome to attend. The meeting culminates on Saturday with our Annual Meeting from 8am-5pm, featuring an array of internationally renowned speakers talking about our theme “Creating Connections, Building Bridges…Together”. Presentations will be by:
Drs. Susan Cooper, immediate past president of the World Council of Optometry,
Alvaro Alcala from the Association of Mexico Optometry Schools,
Christopher Quinn, vice president of the American Optometric Association,
Victoria Weiss of Remote Area Medical and
Luigi Bilotto of the Brien Holden Vision Institute.
Also featured are Mark Sachs of Restoring Vision, Greg Van Kirk of the New Development Solutions Group and Randal Avolio, CEO of Surgical Eye Expeditions. After the afternoon awards presentations there will be breakout sessions on topics including new technology, partnering with sustainable eye clinics and membership retention and growth.
See you in NOLA for Lagniappe!
