Halloween

Ahh, Autumn! The leaves turn different colors (ok, I'm sure they do in Kansas!) and the weather gets a chill in the air (yeah...in Minnesota)and the minds of children turn to CANDY (THAT happens in California too!)Halloween, once my favorite time of year, is upon us again. I like to think of this day as being the start of the holidays, four of them in just about two months.
When I was younger, this day was my favorite. I would dress up the house, my car and myself. I'd spend way too much money on pumpkins, and decorations. Becoming a father has changed all that, the attention turned to the kids long ago. But that's the key phrase, long ago! Long ago I decorated up the front porch and myself as well. On the porch I had, among other scary things, a life-size dummy on a chair. I then dressed up as a Frankenstein monster and stood just in front of the porch as if I was tied to a stake. My older sister Suzy, came up on the porch saying "I know that's you, don't try to scare me!" Problem was, she was talking to the dummy in the chair. Wrong dummy! As she passed by me I just sorta reached out and grabbed her shoulder! My ears still ring from her scream!
When I was 12, I debated going trick or treating, thinking I was too "old" for this kind of stuff. At the last moment, I donned a Raiders football helmet, shoulder pads and a #42 jersey and Mike and I hit the neighborhood. If I remember correct, we had a pretty good haul of candy. Back then, most every house would have a light on. Tonight, in the exact same neighborhood, I'll take most of my kids out again to those same houses that Mike and I hit 34 years ago. A few of the residents will still be the same, but that number seems to shrink each year, as do the number of porch lights that will be on. My oldest now goes to "hang out" with his friends on Halloween, but rest assured his "hanging out" is much the same as when Mike, Yez and I would do on later Halloweens (altho I don't know if anyone is getting pushed into garbage cans! Remember that Mike? and Yez is STILL our friend!!). The rest of the kids will be hitting the streets with me, with Tyler having the same waffling I had my last time. While they're running up to each door, I'll be remembering when Mr. so and so used to live there, and Mrs. whatshername lived there and remembering all the great Halloweens I had growing up in this same neighborhood.