Autumn in New York.

Why does it seem so inviting?

Autumn in New York.

It spells the thrill of first-nighting.

It has been many years since I attended the first of a thousand New York theater opening nights, but the memories of many of them are still imprinted in Times Square neon letters in my mind. To the people of the theater, autumn spelled a beginning ... a time to put the doldrums of summer behind us as we looked forward to a change.

The calendar says we have been in autumn for more than a week, though the 90-degree weather took a while to give in. But fall is here now. And I, for one, am glad. I'm glad, too, that we live in the Sandhills of North Carolina, for we get the colorful season changes that rejuvenate us without severe changes we remember from the northeast.

The older and feebler I get, the more I appreciate small changes. Hence, I have no wish to return to autumn in New York, even if it means passing up on that thrill of first-nighting.

That Vernon Duke song has always been a favorite of mine, as well as a challenge. I spent many hours trying to master it on the piano. About 10 minutes before the TV show June and I did in Washington, I used to sit down at the piano and struggle through it.

Looking back, I have to admire the cast and crew, and especially our superb pianist, for tolerating what was plain and simple piano thumping. The effort calmed me, but it must have put everyone else on edge.

That's what happens when you let the thumpers loose. They are calm, but everyone else is on edge. It can be applied to the piano; it can also be applied to our government. We've had a bunch of thumpers in Washington for some time. The changes they promised were too severe - like the changes in the seasons in the far North. Changes should be small - like the ones here in the Sandhills.

I prefer "improvements" to "changes." Take what works and gradually make it better. Our Constitution works, but down through the years we have made it better with a series of amendments. We should continue down that path and block those thumpers who want to do away with small government and the rule of "we the people." That has been the plan and the purpose of the tea party.

Once, "we the people" were called the "silent majority." I believe the tea party has given voice to that majority. They may never be silent again, having seen the results of not taking a vocal stand. I am not a member of a tea party, but I sure do subscribe to their ideals and support their standards. We have not forgotten the current administration's broken promises of transparency. Fortunately, secret deals are no longer secret.

I know I have banged on this drum for months and can readily understand those who are tired of what they call rants. I'm tired of them, too. I'm even tired of the dozens of other ranters who share these thoughts.

We should all move on, turn the other cheek and give our current government a chance to see their changes through. Certainly that would be the gentlemanly thing to do - Marquis of Queensbury approach, you know.

But those who are determined to take over our lives are not playing by the rules, so for us to make unilateral moves of appeasement would be like President Obama kowtowing to Iran's off-the-wall leader.

Obama's road is a wrong approach that promises to give Iran time to go nuclear - our attempt to follow a similar approach could push us into the path of pure socialism.

Autumn in New York brings the promise of new love. Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain. Thirty days until we vote out those who bring us pain.

Allan Jefferys, a former New York theater critic and newsman, lives in Pinehurst. Contact him at oldjeff@nc.rr.com.