Journey Into

by Michael French, MA, LPC

A Change of Pace.

Hello and welcome back to another Journey Into article. This time, we’re taking a look at fall. I’ve been writing some pretty grounded and serious pieces lately, so I thought it was time to lighten things up a bit.

The other day I stepped outside and noticed how dewy the grass — and even our deck — looked. That led me to deliberate whether mowing the yard is worth it when everything is soaked. I’m writing this in late August, and my wife announced that the dew simply means fall is here, even if the calendar says otherwise. The photo above is one I took last year across from my office. Fall always brings a change in color, and lately I’ve seen some beautiful sunsets that feel like early hints of the season.

But what else defines autumn? For me, the shift from summer to fall brings a few things — starting with the end of mowing season. Hallelujah. I sweat a lot (probably more than you wanted to know), and it seems to get worse as I get older. I’m not a huge mowing fan, but I do it because I don’t want the neighbors thinking we’ve let the yard go. My wife notices the small things — the weeds that pop up near the porch or the fence or in the driveway — while I’m focused on the bigger picture. And during mowing season, I have to stay on guard for those slithery beasts of prey.

“Snakes, why’d it have to be snakes!”

You know, the ones with long bodies, giant fangs dripping with venom, ready to pounce. Snakes can do that, right? Indiana Jones and I have one thing in common — we don’t like snakes. Thankfully, this year I’ve only seen one, and it was tiny. My wife said there was one holding watch in the garden, maybe it was 10 feet long?!? Maybe. Every spring I send out a memo: go to another yard or disappear when I’m outside. Why don’t they learn to read?

Fall also signals my six‑month break from those misunderstood critters — or King Cobras or Anacondas, depending on how dramatic I’m feeling. I might be slightly exaggerating. Usually it’s just a harmless black snake or a garter snake. Although I’ve heard stories about those little guys too.

A few years back, on a fall day, a snake found its way inside my car and coiled itself around the gear shift. I opened the door to grab something, and and the interior of the car seemed off. It didn’t seem quite right. The gear shift looked different — and it was moving. One look at it had me calling (or maybe screaming) for my wife. We have it in our wedding agreement: she handles mice and snakes, and I take care of the spiders.

When the massive serpent disappeared into my dashboard, my wife became the temporary owner of my car. For a couple of weeks, I drove her vehicle while she assured me the overly long intruder had probably found its way out. When I finally retook possession of my car, I was a little nervous, but she was confident the coil‑dweller had moved on. We haven’t seen it since.

Back to the Gridiron!

The changing of the seasons brings back my favorite sport — football. Watching these modern‑day gladiators fight their way toward the Super Bowl, combined with my armchair‑quarterbacking skills and commentary, makes the season come alive. During what I call the “dark times” for the Kansas City Chiefs, I wasn’t very interested. From the mid‑70s to the mid‑80s, the Kansas City Royals were my team. Baseball was my obsession when I was younger, and I didn’t make the full jump to football until college. I started falling in love with Chiefs football just by listening to the play‑by‑play of Len Dawson, Kevin Harlan, and Bill Grigsby.

I think I officially became a Chiefs fan in the mid‑80s. Back then, the team was a lot like last year’s Chiefs — not very good. When Carl Peterson and Marty Schottenheimer arrived in 1989, they brought a completely different culture to Kansas City. I’ll never forget journeyman quarterback Steve DeBerg and the toughness he showed in the game where he broke his finger. The broadcast showed him on the sideline getting it reset, and then he played the rest of the game wearing a glove. He was in agony, but what a warrior.

A few years later, the Chiefs made national news when they went after Joe Montana — at the time, the best quarterback in the league. I was on the field the day he made his debut in a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. I was around 25, working at a television station, and was asked to shoot video on the sidelines. It was brutally hot, and I had a bulky camera with a 3/4‑inch tape deck while my producer sat comfortably in the air‑conditioned press box. The field temperature rose to almost 110 degrees. It was my first time recording video of a game.

I think I lost about five pounds in sweat that day, but it was worth it. I stood inches away from Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, and the Nigerian Nightmare himself, Christian Okoye — just days before he was released. Coach Schottenheimer walked right past me, and I even shared an elevator with the late, great Len Dawson. Inside, the fanboy in me was going berserk, but I had to stay professional. I never said a word to any of them. When Montana was introduced to the crowd at Arrowhead, it felt like the city had just won a Super Bowl. The crowd went nuts — and it was only a preseason game, which is mostly about evaluating players and means very little otherwise.

Another big moment came a few years later when I won tickets from a sports talk show on the radio. I got to meet Tony Gonzalez and receive an autographed football, which I still have. I could choose from several games, and I ended up picking one against the Seattle Seahawks. Dick Vermeil was now the coach, and Trent Green was the quarterback. It was a fantastic game — except for the weather. It turned out to be the coldest game of the year. It had snowed about five inches the day before, and the temperature was around five degrees above zero. That’s Fahrenheit for all you Celsius loyalists.

One of my best friends, Trevor, and I bundled up and headed to the nosebleed section. We had a blast, and I got strep throat because of it. But it was still one of my favorite games I’d seen up to that point.

Since those days, the Chiefs have had their ups and downs — and the less said about the Scott Pioli and Todd Haley experiment, the better. Everything changed when they brought in Andy Reid as head coach and drafted Patrick Mahomes. With the exception of last year, the Chiefs spoiled Kansas City by appearing in every AFC Championship game under Mahomes’ command — and winning three Super Bowls. It’s been an unbelievable run.

Now this year, we get to see if Kansas City can answer a lot of questions. Will Patrick Mahomes look like the Mahomes of old after going down last year with a major injury? Does Travis Kelce have anything left in the tank after marrying Taylor Swift? Can the wide receiver room get better at actually catching passes? Will the offensive line become more unified and reduce the holding penalties? And can a revamped defense challenge opposing offenses?

Stay tuned Chiefs Kingdom.

Food glorious food!

Another reason fall is my favorite season is all the food options I get to bring back. Chili is my go‑to meal for fall and winter. When I was a little boy, though, I wasn’t a fan. I think I was about seven when our next‑door neighbor’s basement caught fire one night. Everyone was fine, and the damage was limited. The next day, we had the McCullock family over for dinner. Mom made chili to feed a crowd — basic and straightforward: meat, beans, and seasoning.

I didn’t like chili beans back then. But my best friend, Chris McCullock, loved chili, and when he sat down to eat, I couldn’t just let him be the only kid enjoying it. So I tried it — beans and all — and that’s when the love affair began. It’s continued ever since.

These days, my chili recipe uses ground turkey, chili beans, and a whole lineup of seasonings and spices. My dad used to make chili with everything but the kitchen sink — peppers, roast beef, and any leftover he could find. He even joined a group called the Texas Chili Cook Association. No thanks. I keep mine simple with cheddar cheese, crackers, and either ketchup or a splash of steak sauce like Heinz 57 or whatever generic brand is around.

Nowadays, I make a pot that lasts five or six meals, since my wife has no interest in my version of chili. Her chili is… considerably different, with extra veggies I have absolutely no interest in.

And then there are the fall sweets that originate from that bright orange squash we call the pumpkin. Anybody hungry yet?

I’m already drooling. The first time I had pumpkin pancakes was at IHOP. It was manna from heaven — so good, especially with cinnamon sprinkles and cool whip. I’ve learned to make my own version at home. For some reason, I still haven’t mastered thicker pancakes, at least according to my wife. Mine always come out a bit thin. Don’t let my wife know I am admitting to that!

Then there are the donuts. Casey’s introduced me to pumpkin donuts about ten years ago, and I looked forward to them every fall. But Casey’s kept changing the recipe or adding things like sprinkles. Dunkin’ Donuts makes great pumpkin donuts too, and they’ve grown in popularity.

Another dessert featuring the pumpkin is pumpkin pie ice cream, and even pumpkin pie Blizzards from Dairy Queen or concretes with frozen yogurt. Oh, and let’s not forget pumpkin cheesecake. I know some of you are probably interested in pumpkin spice lattes — they’re yours, enjoy them. I’ve never been a big hot‑drink fan.

But one of the biggest reasons I like fall is because that’s when LeeAnn and I started dating. October 23, 2006 was when our relationship moved from friendship into something deeper.

The photo above was taken a few years after we met. I have the original somewhere, but until I track it down, this one will do. Our relationship started off awkwardly, mostly because I was on a year‑long dating fast, trying to understand myself and some of the struggles I’d been working through. I met her at a coffee‑house singles event in July 2006, but I wasn’t looking for anything. Slowly, we kept running into each other at different socials. We became friends, and over time — despite my geekiness and how opposite we were — God brought something deeper into our lives. It’s been an adventure and a wonderful journey ever since.

I remember some of those early talks, walks, and even going to a corn maze and almost getting lost. Those moments began laying the foundation for what was coming.

I also got to know her two boys, Eric and Isaac. I tried to impress Eric — who is far more athletic than I am — with my amazing basketball skills. That didn’t go so well. Isaac, his younger brother, was an avid reader, so I didn’t connect with him right away. I had a few things to learn about dating a woman with kids, and I’m grateful LeeAnn showed me grace along the way.

One day, not long after LeeAnn and I started dating, Eric, Isaac, and a couple of their friends wanted to show me a music video. I think it was meant as a compliment — or at least their version of one. They queued up White and Nerdy by “Weird Al” Yankovic. I’m pretty sure they were trying to tell me something, and honestly… they weren’t wrong. Feel free to click on it and enjoy the moment they introduced me to.

Now, I never had braces, and I didn’t get glasses until my mid‑40s. But I am a geek — proudly so. I knew things were meant to be with LeeAnn the day she sat with me and actually watched an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was the Season Six episode where Odo and Kira finally fell in love. Kind of like us.

Lastly, fall was when I met God for the first time in a real way. I asked Christ into my life on October 31, 1979. I had invited myself along with a family we were close to for a party at their church. They held a short service before the festivities, and an invitation was offered. It was the last year I went trick‑or‑treating, and I accepted Him into my life as my Savior while wearing a fireman’s outfit — complete with a big helmet and a flashing light.

Seven years later, as a sophomore at Northwest Missouri State University in mid‑October, I rededicated my life to Him while going through some hard times. My grades were struggling, my love life continued to elude me, and loneliness was a constant companion. On top of that, my parents were struggling in their marriage. In the middle of all that, I began to understand what making Him my Lord truly meant. My faith and relationship with Him were never the same after that night. Within a matter of weeks, I started forming new friendships — some that have lasted to this day.

So that’s why fall sits at the top of my list. Chili simmering on the stove, pumpkin everything, football Sundays, early memories of faith, and the season when LeeAnn and I started our journey together. Every fall feels like a familiar friend showing up again — cooler air, drizzle, mist, and all the things that make life feel a little more grounded. Until next time, may your journey take you into peace, love and grace.