Isn’t Halloween, great? It’s that one time of the year when you can come out of your shell and be the person you want to be. It’s the one time you’re allowed to act like a child, free-spirited, excited, terrified, and it’s okay! In an article I wrote a couple years’ back now (here), I said:
Every year there is one holiday that brings people together for the sole purpose of bringing joy to others, sharing the spirit and love of protection, and putting a smile on the face of children … but it’s not Christmas. What was once an ancient tradition of celebrating the dead and the end of a harvest season has gone through tens of thousands of years of transformations from one culture to another.
My point was simple: Halloween is essentially one of America’s most culturally valuable holidays, ever. And, that is just as true now, as it was then. While America’s most unique holiday (arguably) is Thanksgiving, Halloween is not a holiday based on some terribly misrepresented historical events that were abusive (as America has a very dark and long history of abuse … no matter how much “snowflakes” want to pretend it doesn’t exist or hide it). Sure, Halloween has many iterations around the world, but the current cultural development of how Halloween is celebrated (corporate-greedy whore mongering aside), is unique to this country. Candy given for free, in parties, to strangers, and in good faith. Adults getting to be children and let their imaginations soar! Other adults, who are stingy and self-absorbed get to turn off their lights and wake up to rotten eggs! It is an incredibly unique, diverse, and exciting holiday that has NO LIMITATIONS on religion, culture, color, gender or ANY other factor!
Think about it! The ONE holiday that everyone can celebrate for their own reason, together, in harmony!! (<= You are welcomed, and encouraged, to share that quote from me … over and over again, on facebook, twitter … and EVERYWHERE else … because America could use a little reminder that we’re all together in this thing called life and could use a little “common ground“).
And … what about the horror stories? The “poisoned” candy? The “cults”? The “stranger danger”?
PLEASE. I’ve argued before about the STUPID lie that perpetuated this, and thanks to Adam Conover (man … there’s a guy I love to hate … then love … then hate again!), there is now a much more prevalent recognition in modern culture and by a much more widespread group that those were all lies. You can see the TruTV excerpt from the hit series, Adam Ruins Everything, here:
Does that mean Halloween is 100% safe?
Um .. duh?
No.
There is not 1 day, out of the entire year, that is 100% safe. The worst part is, most harm to children on any day of the year comes from family members … not strangers! But, on that unfortunate fact, I digress …
So, like ANY day of your life, just be conscientious, give kids some good guidance, maybe keep an eye on the candy (since we ALL KNOW that the ONLY reason parents go through the candy to “safety” check is so that they can pull out the ones they like! I mean … *ahem* for SAFETY! …. sort of … *humble blush*). And, the BEST part about letting kids roam neighborhoods together and in groups is that it’s easy to consolidated the effort by adults, utilize cell phones for what they SHOULD be used for (emergency contacts), and let kids have fun! And, if mom and/or dad are so inclined, dress up, smile, laugh, and be who you REALLY want to be all year long.
For me …
This will be the first Halloween in 14 years I don’t get to deck out my house in a “Haunted” motif, for “reasons” I can explain later (and I do some AWESOME work … which … by the way … anyone in the Pacific Northwest want to go in with me on a customized, bestest haunted house ever because I am the best of the best when it comes to it? You pay for everything and I make it awesome! No? Hmmm… sorry … I’ll stop advertising, now … but I am serious)!! And, while I was sad about it, it’s okay. Why? Because IT’S FREAKIN’ HALLOWEEN, BABY, YEAH!!
So, hey! It’s the weekend, before … why are you just sitting there? Do you have everything ready? Bowls of goodies for the kids? (And if they don’t come … snacks for a week or so). Got some sugar-free stuff, too (for them non-sugar kids?). What about some fruits and stuff for the Lactose intolerant kids? Ever thought of that? Nope … best almost all of you didn’t! How cool is it to put up a sign on the door that says: “Beware … sugar free and lactose intolerant goodies are available here, too … so ask if you dare … muwahahahahaha!” See? It can be fun. It can be new. And, you can be creative … no matter how big, or small.
Well … up to you. It’s a free country. Just remember that it doesn’t matter what your faith, color, gender, background, or any other personal status information is. What matters is that you can be who you want to be, this one day of the year.
(For those “bleeps” that build haunted houses with morons jumping around in clown masks physically molesting people or have to have some sort of a guide with exhaustive, fake, and annoying exposition, or screaming music, etc. … just a heads up … that wears out quickly and sucks. If you don’t know how to be scary … then stop watching crap like “saw” or “jigsaw”, and take a couple psychology classes … because “scary” is NOT a screaming weirdo in a mask who touches or grabs people, or some tied up girl being raped or tortured (that … is utter garbage) … it’s a very silent, unknown, terror that recognizes the real, built-in human fears that are universal in everyone and knows how to draw out … *ahem* sorry … got caught up in the moment. The point is … don’t ruin the holiday. It’s “fun”. Keep it fun. Scary … but fun! Why? Being who you are … and facing your inner self … and having one night to be stronger, better, freer, and happier than any other day of your life … is what makes Halloween in America … “splendiferous”! There’s my “PSA”)
Thanks for reading
Of course … this is a repeat for me … but can you go wrong with this?:
“Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y’awl’s neighborhood
And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse’s shell
The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller“
Thinking Error Free 
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