Posted on 10/12/2009 7:27:01 AM PDT by dead
And America, like Rome continues it’s slide down hill.
I keep running into that in my neighborhood, and each time, I wonder if I'll give out candy next year.
The little kids with the cute costumes go out early in the evening, with their parents. Lots of kids. Safety in numbers. I generally don't get home from work in time to dole out candy to them.
The bigger kids rarely wear costumes. Generally they're in street clothes, sometimes with a bag, but generally they wear a backpack "backwards" on their stomach, unzipped.
These kids are aggressive. No "Happy Halloween" greeting unless prompted by me. They group up and stare. Hands out. Hands grabbing the candy in the dish I hold. Last year they came up way too close to me, shoving against me as they jostled in line for the candy.
I'm not sure I'll put out my Jack 'o' lantern this year.
My husband and kids love Halloween. They plan for weeks and do all the decorations. For a few years, they went to the scary hay ride at a local farm (until it got too expensive). They always have a blast. I’m wishy washy about Halloween since I think the decorations are icky (day after, I take them down, lol). I do enjoy seeing the kids all dressed up coming to the door saying trick or treat.
I usually dread halloween costumes for the kids only because it means work for me. Fortunately, this year is easy since the 8th grader is being a football player (using her Dad’s Steelers jersey and a helmet and shoulder pads I’m borrowing) for a party and also for halloween. The 6th grader is being a soda can, which means my husband has to make most of the costume. The two oldest are on their own when it comes to costumes, etc. but I’m sure I’ll end up helping with make up and costumes.
It’s just a fun night for them, always has been. I just like raiding their candy bags :)
not surprised you think like i do on this..and glad of it
it gives kids a chance to be kids and face normal kid fears of dark stuff with laughter and giddiness
now had we had a real life slasher in the area or suffered a horrifc crime in our family like that I bet we’d be more subdued with the scary stuff but just yesterday our nearly 3 year old got the courage to go up to the piano and bang ivories all the time talking up the life sized goblin sitting next to him..lol...it took him a while ..now he drags that thing around with him...
we live in the country now and trick or treating is out but my aunt lives in a sprawling neighborhood full of former Saturn workers (they make something else there now) and they really do it up fun all over the neighborhood...like when I was a lad in the 60s in a starter home neighborhood
not to say it doesn’t get out of hand for teens....drinking...egging and whatnot...been there did that
plus mommmy makes for a fetching witch ala Elvira
So true about kids facing normal fears of dark stuff. We had a neighbor who dressed up, sat on his porch, and scared the hell out of everyone (including the adults) and then we’d all just laugh. A few years ago, a new neighbor did the same thing. We had no idea it wasn’t a fake until he scared the hell out of us. Then, I just watched as he scared the hell out of everyone who came to the house, lol. But he didn’t do it to the little kids...and a funny story, my husband and kids keep adding to our halloween decorations, including things that jump out when people come onto the porch and a sound system with all the special effects. Annoys the heck out of me ;) After all the little kids are done trick or treating, we get the teens (and I can’t complain because mine go out at that time too). So, my husband had this elaborate scary thing set up, and we had the best time scaring the teens who came to the door.
You have these teens, all laid back, just coming for the candy and joking about all the not so scary sounds/decorations, and scared out of their minds when things jump out at them.
Ah, I recall being a teen (the drinking, never egged anyone). :)
I’m glad my kids have this neighborhood and can experience halloween as I did as a kid.
Back in the 80s, in my old neighborhood in Philly (happened years prior to that but not as bad), the blacks (and yep, that’s what/who I mean) from their neighborhoods would come into ours trick or treating because they couldn’t in their neighborhoods. Our street (the street I grew up on and lived on til I was married) would always be accommodating even when eggs would get thrown or bad attitudes would be shared. In the mid 80s, things got so bad, we stopped opening the door after all the neighborhood kids had come. A couple of years later, the neighborhood changed the date of halloween, had it a week before and also had a block party. Even today, the street I grew up on, neighborhood, celebrates halloween on a different date. Just to avoid the chaos/riff raff of other cultures that continue to be animals.
Where I live now, we don’t have to do that. It’s still just a fun night.
Well...no. LOL!
Gosh....I don’t blame ya’! I suspect with the economy things will only get worse.
Cleave to that which is good.
; ^ )
They are EVERYWHERE! Go to any WalMart on Saturday.
That is AWESOME.
And your local police will recognize any bad actors among them.
We occasionally have the older kids w/o costumes, but hubby is 6'6" 250# and they are very respectful.
Who are everywhere? I have occasionally been in a WalMart on Saturday . . . .
Yes, like that.
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