Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween. My childhood is filled with memories of crazy parties, strange costumes, haunted houses and bags of candy. I went Trick or Treating right into my teen years, without a costume, and didn't feel the least bit guilty about it. 

My favorite Trick or Treat memory was hiking into the next neighborhood because through the kid-grapevine, rumor had it a house was giving away cans of Coke. The drink, not the drug. Jackpot! We were so excited. I remember being very young and the leader of our group was a much older sister of my friend. She was about twelve. Venturing into another neighborhood was like visiting another world. Scary. I trusted she would know the way to the Coke and would get us back safely. I remember walking forever, exhausted from heaving our already heavy bags of candy along. Our leader was determined. She kept stopping other kids along the way and asking them about the Coke.

"Oh, yeah, they are giving it away! The house is just over a few more blocks." And on we'd go determined to get there before the other kids took it all. The anticipating building. The excitement unbearable.

We got within a block of the house and heard they ran out. As an adult looking back, I'm pretty sure the people probably ran out of candy and started giving away the contents in their refrigerators. Those were the good days. As we got older we started hearing about people putting razor blades in candy or kids getting poisoned. That was the first indication as a child the world wasn't the safe place we assumed it to be.

I have one memory of a haunted house. I was fourteen years old. I went with my best friend Susan. It was a huge haunted house sponsored by the local radio station. I only remember the first room. It looked like a hospital with an operating table. There was a woman on the table all bloody asking us to help her. Susan wasn't very smart and naturally, she started talking to the woman saying in the sweetest voice with such honest worry I wondered if she were crazy or part of the production, "What is the matter? How can I help you?" Susan absentmindedly let go of my arm and started walking toward the woman. The whole time I'm frantically whispering and trying to hold her back, "Susan, stop that! What are you doing? Get back here." The Mad Scientist appeared behind us with a large, bloody butcher knife. Not only did I scream the sound of unimaginable torture, but I ran through the whole haunted house! Susan kept trying to grabbed my arm for fear I would leave her, and I did. I was running so fast my coat came off and I just kept running. I didn't stop until I reached the parking lot where I met up with Susan still holding my coat. That was my first and last haunted house. Well, other than the ones I worked at.

As an adult, I stopped Trick or Treating (thankfully!) and living in the city for most of my adult life, I didn't give out candy to kids. Answering the door to strangers at night never appealed to me. I'd go to a friend's house for a costume party and watch them give out candy.

When I moved to my village in the country the first few years I was surrounded by kids. It was fun to give out candy and see their adorable costumes. I was so excited I gave out full-size candy bars not the fun-size because I wanted to be that house everyone talked about. The twin boys from next door screamed, "THESE ARE THE BIG ONES!" They were so thrilled. The second year I gave out the miniature pumpkins I grew in my garden in addition to candy! Then the kids all moved away. The last one graduated from high school last year.

Now that I'm chemically sensitive, I still love Halloween, but it is problematic because:

I can't go to costume parties because of the smells.

I can't hand out candy because I might eat it. That last year handing out candy I downed no less than ten bite-sized Butterfingers. Who knows how much rat feces I ingested in just that one night!?

It's hard to justify giving junk food to children. Besides the cost, I feel guilty. I feel like I'm setting a bad example. Or I'm poisoning them. There isn't much kids appreciate for treats other than junk food. Maybe I'll grow some more miniature pumpkins? Those were a hit.

Opening your door to strangers means exposure to all kinds of unknown and unwanted chemicals. Heck, with all the crazy people in society, opening your door to strangers at night is just asking for trouble.

And around here, the torrents of rain discourage even the most devoted Trick or Treater.

But I love Halloween. It's an awesome holiday.