I love September. I challenge anyone to name a month superior to September. Can’t do it. It’s got a few last dashes of summer, a gorgeous glimpse of fall, and a shared kinetic energy of back-to-school, back-to-business, and back-to-basics. It’s that last one that I could use some extra focus on. When I say “back to basics,” I mean that for me, fall evokes a subtle call to focus on simplicity. After the whirlwind of an active summer, September feels like a slight tap on the brakes – a pause to more fully savor the outdoors and time with family, as well as to refocus my attention at work. It’s the month I breathe in most deeply, and exhale with the most sense of gratitude. But too often that vibe doesn’t last, and soon I’m pulled back into a whirlwind of self-imposed urgency on any number of work or personal initiatives – otherwise known as a loss of focus. Such a slip can be easy when so many of the great things about the Chippewa Valley are coming back online after a summer break, and soon your schedule fills up just as it always has. But this year will hopefully be different. This time I will focus on a Simpler September.