Tuesday, October 12, 2004

And So It Begins...

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Have you ever noticed that once the calendar page flips to October, the remainder of the year seems to zip by faster than the past nine months?  There's so much going on that gets crammed into a relatively short span of time.  Every year, I make a solemn vow to myself that I won't be caught unprepared for what's ahead and every year I manage to break that vow.  Coming in second to my serious case of pragmatism is a bad case of procrastinationitus.  The good news is that each year, I get yet another chance to redeem myself.

Five coming events loom heavy on my mind from now until the end of the year.  They are, in sequential order, a) Halloween, b) paying the annual property taxes, c) Thanksgiving, d) Christmas and e) my husband's birthday.  Over the years I've tried to take these events in stride.  At times it's not easy. 

I don't like Halloween very much.  Over the years I've been trying to wean myself away from using the word "hate".  Hate is such a strong word that carries a great deal of negative passion and wasted energy.  Who needs this?  Certainly not I.  Closer to the truth would be to say I dislike what Halloween has become over the years.  The very idea that parents have to check the contents of their childrens' bags of loot for hazardous items such as razor blades or homemade treats laced with a harmful substance is so sad.

I've become afraid to open the door on Halloween night in these times in which we live.  Anyone could be on the other side of the door concealed by a mask.  Once the door is open, it could be too late.  When my children were of the trick-or-treating age, I always opted to take them around town, leaving my husband home to answer the constant summoning of the doorbell.  The fact that I feel this way is a grim reflection of our current society.  I spend all of Halloween waiting for it to be over and breathe a welcome sigh of relief when All Saint's Day arrives and we made it through another year.  It distresses me to feel this way and makes me feel not just a little guilty.  When I was a child, going out to trick-or-treat on Halloween was right up there with birthdays and Christmas as one of the best days of the year.  I'm so sorry such a fun, child-oriented holiday has become an opportunity for some misguided wretch to turn it into a possible nightmare. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't like Halloween either. Glad I'm not alone. I find it one of the most annoying holidays.

Anonymous said...

Make that 7 events, you left out both your son-in-laws birthday as well as your step grandsons birthday ( that both require your attendance!)  On a good note however you have taught me to shop early and plan early. I have half my xmas shopping done, I already bought Christmas cards, step sons party was bought and planned 2 months ago, and yes halloween costumes and candy are done already too :) See how much I learned!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Well shame on me, my darling daughter.  You keep me on my toes!

Anonymous said...

Have to dissent on the Halloween thing.  I LOVE Halloween.  We seem to have found a safe little neighborhood where it's still fun for the kids (though we don't have any, we enjoy opening the door and schmoozing with the neighbors.)  In fact, I love Halloween so much, that when I got too old for "Trick or Treat," I decided to get married in October, just to keep the month special.  LOL!  Lisa  :-]