Yes, as I referred to last week, and as your children have no doubt reminded you if you had forgotten, it's time for the Trick or Treaters, or as my youth group was known..."Trick AND Treaters", meaning just because you had something, it didnt spare you from a little trickery.
As it should be, this day is made for monsters. whether it's Dracula, Frankenstein, or the Wolfman, or even a walking corpse from Dawn of the Dead (one of my favorite films). I remember years ago this kid who lived behind me always went as a cowboy. Ridiculous, I thought back then, that someone wouldn't use this prime opportunity to dress up as one of their favorite monsters.
We're told that girls are sugar and spice and everything nice (although most of us realize the stark untruth to that statement), they can be fairy princesses and the like. Boys being snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails get to let it all hang out. Why waste the opportunity to scare girls in your neighborhood by being a pirate when you can sneak behind the bushes as the Wolfman, or slumber around with a Frankenstein mask on and no one would think the worse of you....plus your identity is sealed unless you choose otherwise. This opens up a plethora of prank opportunities and overall fun times.
Now if you walk around with a Frankie mask on a day like April 9th around your neighborhood, some might question your grasp on reality, but not I.
Now that attire has been established, it's time to concentrate on your candy bag. Candy lovers everywhere know that there are many possiblities here. Stores used to give away bags for kids with ghosts and bats on them that they could use on the big day. Yes....I said "GIVE AWAY". No charge!
Then there's the trusty brown grocery bag, which if you wanted, you could dress up as well!! Me? I was always a mechanical thinker, even as a kid. I didnt care what the bag looked like. Utmost importance here is exactly how much candy can you hold in the bag. In all my years of candy-hoarding, there has been only one which I found truly fit the bill, and never ran out of room for more. What is this anomoly? The Pillow Case, of course.
Okay, so that sounds ridiculous. Who wants their kid running around the neighborhood with a pillow case. Who cares!! Again, it does the job and is time tested to never fail you. Don't think I ever met a kid who cares more about how his bag looks and less about how much candy they can get.
All in all, it should be a weekend of stomach aches and whining. Possibly the only advantage to not having kids. At least I won't have to listen to it....although my wife will.
Remember to tell your kids to be smart, and look after one another. You'd think they'd know that anyway, but as I said...they're kids!
Have a happy and safe Halloween,
Take care and God bless,
Matthew
