I finally got it with the pumpkin spice thing and I’m all in!
I admit, I used to make fun of people who ordered a pumpkin spice hot drink from their local coffee shop. All the known stereotypical thoughts would cross my mind and I would then order my black coffee and be on my way.
I couldn’t understand it. Until recently.
I was at the store with my daughter and we saw the Christmas-themed lawn ornaments going up. While I love Christmas, even I thought this was a little early — OK, a lot too early.
But I was still very excited at the thought of Christmas music being played, snow on the ground and watching classic movies and specials as the lights shone on the Gibson family tree.
Then I saw the pumpkin and fall decor out as well and was hit with a bit of, I don’t know, coziness? It was exciting.
Soon my other favourite part of the year would be here — fall — and it would be turkey dinners, sweater weather and drives with my wife to check out leaves changing. She's a Muskoka woman and loves the fall colour change as well.
My daughter and I then went over to the mall to see what the local card shop had out as far as Christmas and fall items and yep, they were stocking up.
I’m 45 years old, but I just use the excuse that because I have kids I “have to” watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It's an absolute classic and brings me back to my childhood and enjoying the innocence of life and for 30 minutes not caring about anything except Linus truly believing — this is the year he sees it!
Well, now I realize that pumpkin spice-everything is a massive part of that cozy feeling for many people. The sight of pumpkins brings a warmness to some, I believe, as it seems to bring a nostalgia to those wh instantly think of family dinners in a warm house.
I don’t know why I’ve been fighting it. I instantly started using my fall playlist — yes, that's a thing for me — and have been enjoying the chillier days.
The best part is that since I’m not a fan of the smell of real pumpkins, it's great that pumpkin spice has no actual pumpkin in it.
Before my male friends message me with threats of taking my 'Man Card' away, it also makes me think of football season kicking off and preparing to watch the Steelers add another Super Bowl win to their trophy case.
I’m going to order my first pumpkin spice hot drink tonight and enjoy it while hanging out with some of my guy buddies. I’ll likely rave about it and I bet they nod approvingly with fist bumps and “Hell yeah, that's a good drink!”
Or I may say it's black coffee and ask who they are taking in their football pool.
My friends can be sooooo basic.
Shawn Gibson is a staff reporter with BarrieToday.
