It’s August 21. There are 31 days left until autumn, and we’ve endured a few months of unprecedented summer heat, probably due to the drying up of Lake Urmia. Generally, Tabriz has a cool September and its nights have a certain good feeling that I’ve never been able to name. We have 31 days to make the most of these September nights and experience that good feeling. After that, there will be three months of autumn with café sitting, smoking, coffee, and songs by people like Ahmet Kaya. Hard days lie ahead.

Sometimes I wonder why people are always seeking good feelings. Assuming we know the meaning of good and bad, why should we label a feeling as good or bad? It’s like saying life is sweet when one of the best tastes in the world is the bitter taste of coffee. Why does saying life is bitter convey a bad feeling?

People generally, when with someone, have a limited number of songs they can listen to and a negligible number of books or other content that aligns with their feelings. However, when they are alone or have separated from someone, almost all songs, books, streets, sidewalks, parks, and everything and everywhere are available to them.

I don’t know, maybe I’m just trying to console myself.