Autumn, finally: A season to cool our politics

You see, a 2026 Change Research survey finds that 30% of voters name politics as the single biggest source of stress in their lives — more than money, health or work. Look, politics is important. An informed, engaged public is essential to our country's continued success at the local, state and federal levels. Not so long ago, politics knew its place. It lived in the opinion section of the Sunday newspaper. It was discussed for no more than 15 minutes every night on the network news. It inspired the occasional heated debate at the VFW — during which disagreeing friends still tripped over themselves to buy the next round of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Now, politics is something we wear, drive, eat, drink, watch, buy and sometimes even lose our jobs over. You can't wear a red baseball cap, even if that's what your softball team wore long before Trump became president. You can't display the American flag in your yard without worrying that somebody may vandalize it. You can't put a political sign in your front yard showing support for a specific candidate — not if you still hope to borrow a snowblower from the neighbor supporting another candidate. Alas, autumn is here, so let's take this opportunity to chill. Embracing autumn Consider: We each have little control over who becomes president — just one vote. But we have total control over how we respond to who becomes president. A president's policies do affect our day-to-day lives — health insurance policies, taxes and regulations do impact us some. But what is also true is that our politicians otherwise have limited impact on most of what happens in our daily lives. Life is largely made up of colds, bills, speeding tickets and people who sometimes grate on our nerves. Between those experiences are mundane tasks and drudgery. We interrupt that drudgery with delicious meals with our friends, the occasional hearty laugh, the love of a truly special person who's supportive in times of need — and autumn, one of the most wonderful times of the year. Spring is about new life and fresh starts. Summer is about toil, sweat and a one-week break at the beach. Autumn is about harvesting the fruits of your labor. It's about peacefully accepting that the warm weather will be gone soon — and that bitter-cold winds and snow are just around the corner. Among my favorite things to do at this time of year are driving to fall festivals in small country towns, going on hayrides after dark and sipping hot apple cider — with a dash of Irish whiskey — around a roaring bonfire with my closest friends, while we laugh ourselves silly into the wee hours. Light a bonfire Autumn allows us to reflect on what is most valuable in our lives — our loved ones, our lifelong friends, our neighbors we know we can count on if trouble visits our doorstep. Autumn is about spending time with each other and talking about everything and nothing at all. It's about taking a much-needed respite from politics — about making chili in a cast-iron Dutch oven that sits for hours on fireside coals, then feasting on that chili with your parents and siblings while thanking God that all are still healthy and together after no small number of years. We're tearing ourselves apart with petty politics. Autumn offers a chance to renew friendships and reprioritize our lives. As the leaves drop from the trees, we are given the opportunity to drop politics down our list of priorities — way down to their proper place. The leaves will be changing their colors soon — and we can do likewise. All we need to do is light a bonfire, heat up some apple cider and focus on the truly important parts of our lives — while taking a much-needed break from our overly heated politics. – Copyright 2026 Tom Purcell, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. See Tom Purcell's syndicated column, humor books and funny videos featuring his dog, Thurber, at TomPurcell.com. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.