Halloween

Someday I may learn how to do cutesy and scary things with a blog, but that’s not something I’ve attempted yet. Nevertheless, this is Halloween, a day for ghosts and goblins of all types, sizes and ages. The fun time for the kiddies will begin shortly after the school hour comes to an end in the afternoon, which coincidentally, is about the time darkness begins to set in.

If you happen to be out and about late this afternoon or early evening, please remember that the very little ones will be out, most in a full costume of some sort. Excitement will be controlling their movements even when they are accompanied by parents. They will be oblivious to your presence and capable of darting out at any time.

Please keep an eye out for the little munchkins while you’re driving around. We’d hate to see a wee one, or anyone for that matter, hurt on this fun, exciting night.

Mentioning this special day brings back some memories of my own childhood. I was a “good” boy and did all I could to avoid getting into trouble. But at a rather early age, and I honestly don’t remember that part, I heard my parents talking about what happens on Halloween. Give a “treat” or receive a “trick.” I later learned that they were only having a fun discussion of what could happen. But some sort of destructive mischief was expected.

I smashed our own garage window.

It did not go over very well with my parents and my pleas that I was only doing what was expected fell on deaf ears. They did not laugh and hug me. I never broke another window on purpose.

I have some other good memories of my youthful hijinks, none of which were destructive, and I’m sure you all do, also. This was a happy time of our growing up and a time we all looked forward to. It was a time when we could go safely from door to door and not worry about drugs having been injected into the candy or razor blades being inserted into apples and things. We could eat our candy as we got it and not have to have it inspected at home before we ate it.

Most, if not all of us did our Trick or Treating right within our own neighborhoods with an occasional foray to relatives’ places. In the recent past we’ve seen carloads of kids being driven from neighborhood to neighborhood. I remember my parents, and GW and I at an earlier time, looking forward to the neighborhood kids in their costumes. Part of the great game was figuring out who the kids were and taking great pride when we solved the costume. That’s a hard thing today when we’ve never seen a trick or treater before and probably never will again.

Since we’ve moved to our present home, we don’t get many, if any at all, little kids seeking handouts here. There are only two houses in this place about 350 feet off the road, and they are separated by a water flowing drainage ditch, or, as FF likes to call it, The Canal. Most parents don’t like the idea of their children walking all that distance in the dark alone to get a candy bar or something. We don’t blame them. Even in the “good old times” we wouldn’t have allowed our children to make that trek, either.

So on this day, especially as darkness falls, be extremely careful while you’re out and about. Even though many neighborhoods now have “block” parties for their kids, there will be some being traditional. We want all of them to get safely back home.

Two other little quickies: Remember that Saturday night when you go to bed it’s time to set your clocks back an hour to usher in Standard Time once again. And don’t forget to vote on Tuesday.

Before I go, a fellow blogger, the son of my Fearless Friend, is getting married tomorrow. I’m wishing Eric and Linda a very good and happy life together.

GiM