While this all sounds wonderful, my experience of Halloween as a youngster was always one of dread. You see I was never allowed to go "begging." The closest I got to the experience was when mom and dad finally decided not to turn off the lights and go to church to escape the greedy begging trickers and treaters, but to at least give away some chocolate - is my first memory of this handing out a Mojo per person, or was it a stick of Juicy Fruit? Whatever the case, I know that we were not a generous sort of place those first few nights that I was allowed to hand out the treats to the heathen rabble. I do recall that in the last year or two my mom must have been somewhat embarrassed about the meagerness of our offerings, or that I put up a bit of a fuss about it, that we finally stepped-up to the mini-Oh Henry's. Again, my memory is foggy, and my brother may correct me - which I would welcome.
You see, having broken them down, my younger brother was allowed to, or simply went at it without asking, beg. At least that's my self-pitying memory of it. Whatever the case, to this day my gut reaction to Halloween is one of dread, though I know it to be a great time of community and catharsis and comedy and candy! That's the way my kids experienced it, and that's the way it should be. We should let that inner rabble out to rouse once a year at least. Probably we ought to do this three or four times a year. We'd be better off for it, though we wouldn't always have to give out free candy when we do it. On the other hand why not?
Ride report
in: 3'C wind 10ks SE
out: 9'C wind 10ks SSW
3 comments:
I too remember hiding in the basement with all of the house lights off, a feeling of dread and embarrassment when we heard the muffled voices of our school mates rise and fall in the car port at the side door, sometimes at the front door. I was always worried they would 'egg' our place or worse, confront me about it the next day.
I also recall when we started to hand out candy - although my earliest memory is of Mom making home made coconut chocolate bars and trying to pass those off to the trick-or-treaters. I don't recall them being very popular; although I do remember them tasting pretty good. We did eventually conform and give out packaged candy. I don't recall which brand/type in particular. I do remember P stepping up and insisting that we looked like cheap skates with our behaviour - but I don't recall if both Mom & Dad agreed or if this was a divided issue. It seems to me that Mom made the concession to us and Dad made the concession to Mom.
However, I was never allowed to go out 'begging' - only to sit by the door and hand out the candy. The only time I did do some trick-or-treating was when Halloween fell on a Wednesday and I surreptitiously stopped at a few houses on the way to Boys Brigade at GVC. (This is two references to the 2687 in as many blog entries; when it rains it pours)
TK
You know, it's a feature (failing?) of the elder to firmly believe that things were markedly different (better) for the younger. In this case, this is not the case. It's all so ... small-minded.
Did you shave to start again for Movember, or are you already in full-beard?
I remain, as is the norm these last few years, at full beard. That is - I trim down using the "1" guard setting on the clippers every other week or so, with more frequent neck trimmings sans guard (as close as I'm able to get without evoking all kinds of red bumps and itchiness)
If I were part of an office or campus environment, I believe I would go after the Movember comraderie, but such is not the case...
TK
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