The Apple Orchard Principle

Saturday. Peak apple season. And whether or not you make it to an actual orchard this fall, I want to offer the Apple Orchard Principle, which is my name for a particular quality of good autumn days.

Here’s the principle: the best fall activities are slightly inconvenient on purpose. The orchard is a drive away. The picking takes longer than the store would. You’ll pay more for the privilege of doing the work yourself. And it is, reliably, one of the best days of the season — precisely because of the inconvenience, not despite it. The drive is where the conversation happens. The slowness is where the day gets its texture. The effort is what makes the apples taste like something.

Convenience is wonderful for chores. But for living? A little friction is the flavor. The pumpkin patch, the long hike to the overlook, the pie made from scratch — the effort isn’t the tax on the experience. It’s the experience.

Do one slightly inconvenient thing today, on purpose. That’s where the season lives.

Convenience is for chores. For living, a little friction is the flavor. The effort is the experience.

What’s a slightly inconvenient fall tradition you love anyway — or because?