Halloween Musings

Tonight is the night for ghouls, goblins, and other scary things. In Savannah, we have lots of real ghosts who haven't yet passed over, and they will be at their best, delighting all the people taking the late night "ghost pub crawls." I don't know what's scarier, the real ghosts or tourists dressing up, drinking too much, and then stumbling around dark, creepy houses and bars, listening to stories of murder and mayhem.

There is a great deal on the media about keeping Halloween safe for kids. Lots of police out tonight. One reporter said the police are out to make sure the registered sex offenders are complying with their curfew and aren't out with the kiddies. Now that's really scary. It's sad to think that such a fun holiday has turned into a daytime, go with your parents, controlled activity where it starts going to only approved houses, and ends at the local hospital where the candy has to be x-rayed and analyzed before eaten.

Halloween was far different when I was a child. I remember putting on some semblance of home-made costume, and going out with my friends at a very young age, with a pillowcase for the booty, and walking for blocks and blocks until the bag was full. We went to every house, and before long, the grapevine had bulletins out on who was giving out full-size candy bars...hershey's bars with almonds and nestles crunch bars being the best. We would go up to church where the nuns and priests would OOOH and AHHHH over our costumes and give out some of the best candy. There was nary a parent in sight, but no problem. There were droves of kids making the rounds. If you were out too late when the crowds started thinning, there was the risk of running into the older kids who were out to steal candy bags,but those were few and far between. We would come home from our trek, dump the bags on the floor, and then begin the serious trading. My siblings and I would sort, and trade for what we liked best. Then, my brother would make a fort out of his candy, with Milky Way sentry positions and gun mounts out of sucker sticks. My mother would loan us her turkey roaster pan and soup pot to store the candy in, which went immediately to our rooms and hiding places, far from the other kids and parents with sweet tooths.

Now that I'm an adult, its not the ghosts or goblins that scare me most. It's reading the newspaper with all the violence in the city, or the business page, or the financial news. Recession, layoffs, foreclosures. We are just in the beginning, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. The news media is anticipating a "test" for the new President his first year in office. Dire predictions of a 9-11 type attack, maybe this time biological. Now that's scary. Too much TV time is bad for children, but now it's just as bad for adults. Tired of being scared? Turn off the TV and radio. Hold someone's hand that you trust and cares for you. Count your blessings. Take some time to think of something to be happy about, and don't stop until you do. And when the kids come home with their candy bags, or you've got some leftover nestle crunch bars when the trick-or-treaters have gone home, settle back, snuggle next to someone(thing) (person, pet, etc.)smile, and sink your teeth into some forbidden chocolate delight. Savor the moment.

Happy Halloween!