Ghosts and Goblins, oh my!

Living where we are in a very, very rural area (more cattle and cows than people within a mile radius) we had absolutely no--as in zero, zilch, nada--trick or treaters knock on our door.

Then again even in Morristown, NJ we saw a serious reduction in door-to-door visits as the kids in the neighborhood got older and went off to college. We were just far enough away form the town center to make the walk a little out of the kids' range. Oh, we would get the occasional commuting kids with parents who would drive over from the apartment complex near by, but there weren't many of those.

When my kids were growing up there were like skaty-eight kids (okay, maybe there were "just" 25-30 of them) of the same age bracket on the little block and we held our own little party complete with dunking for apples and even a haunted house constructed by a couple of older kids. And a parade of the kids (from 1 year-old to 10). They would circle the block once (sort of as a warning and to display their strength in numbers) and then start ringing the door bells. One parent would walk with their kid(s) while the other (or an older teen) would man the house and pay Dane geld to protect against invasion. The little ones were all done by darkness and would be trying to talk mom and/or dad into letting them eat candy for dinner when the teens would start doing their thing. There would be some fairly regular action until 10 PM when we would turn out the lights to signify that we weren't taking part any more. We might get 50 to 75 kids at the door in a night depending upon the weather and temperature.

Even when the number of visitors at the Morristown home dwindled, I could still get my fill of costumed preteens and teens at school. The high school and middle school in which I worked each had parades and awards for best costumes. Over the years, the rules became more strict as to what was verbotten (weapons, revealing clothing, etc.) but the kids still showed some imagination and came up with cleaver ideas. In the high school, participation among the students might run to 50% while in the middle school it was closer to 75-80%. There were a few parents who complained on religious grounds and the lack of seriousness, but they were usually taken with a grain of salt or encouraged to keep their kids home if it really bothered them. However, in the last few years of my tenure, the complaints were growing louder and more demanding from some quarters (thing eastern European/western Asia with names like Mohammed, Ali, Hussein, and such) and the administration, rather than pointing to and giving lessons in US Traditions 101, were starting to yield.

I miss seeing all the little ones in their costumes. But if I were to hang around the mall or visit the local party held at the fire hall or VFW people might get the wrong idea.

*sigh*

What a world.

Endangered species?

In the years before we moved from NJ, the number of trick-or-treaters dwindled to a mere handful. Last year we were living full time at the Bolt Hole at the end of the paved road and power line with the nearest occupied dwelling a quarter mile away--and it had no kids. I figure the nearest school age youngster was, oh, three quarters of a mile away.

Here at the Aerie we face a similar situation. Houses along the road are few and far between and the number with youngsters is even fewer. I don't expect to be visited by and ghosts, goblins or ghouls this evening.

*sigh*

I miss the times when we had a hundred or more costumed kids between the ages of 4 and 14 ringing our doorbell.

What Kind of Monster Are You?

I came across this over at blonde sagacity and thought I'd give it a try. Seem's like I'm a Ghost. Booo!

You Are a Ghost

Mysterious, independent, and often unseen - you always do things your own way. You are introverted, shy, and even a little secretive. People are dying to know you better, but you're a difficult person to know. A lot of your contributions to the world are left invisible and unfelt. Your greatest power: Blending in really well Your greatest weakness: Being too passive You play well with: Witches

What Kind of Monster Are You?