Trick or Treat

 When I was a kid Halloween was for kids. Witches' ghosts and goblins. Trick or Treat. Carving a pumpkin for a Jack O Lantern, very crudely done for the most part, the traditional kind. Our costumes were usually homemade, Hobo's, pirates, ghosts and Princesses abounded. The costumes purchased at the 5&10 were those jump suit kind with a plastic mask. Skeletons, Casper, Superman or whatever cartoon character was enjoying popularity that year. I don't recall many homes having extensive decorations, just a few jack o lanterns or some cobwebs, a spider or two. Nothing like what we see today.

 Today Halloween has gone professional. It seems that way to me anyway. The trick or treating part has certainly changed. Now, it is heavily monitored with set times. It wasn't that way when I was a kid. We would go as soon as it got dark and trick or treat until we were either too tired to continue or ran out of houses. It's a sad testament to the times we live in. You do have to be alert, aware of everything, take precautions and inspect the candy! It seems like Halloween has become more about decorating the homes than actually trick or treating. That and the proliferation of "haunted houses" and corn mazes. We didn't have those when I was young. Well, there were reportedly haunted houses, but people lived in them, and you couldn't take a tour. 

 Halloween did include some mischief for the older kids. When you were too old to trick or treat but still young enough to care. Right about now the Rexall drug store would be having their one cent sale. Soap and shaving cream were the featured items. Yes, we soaped the windows in the shops in town, sprayed shaving cream on everything and each other. There were rumors of rotten eggs, but I was never subjected to that. No property was damaged, no one was hurt. That did change over the years, for reasons I can't explain. That's why restrictions and regulations had to be imposed. I heard of a few incidents when I was older and no longer participating in such childish things. Seems like fourteen or so was the unofficial cut-off for all of that. I wouldn't want to be seen engaging in any childish behaviors when I was sixteen! OMG, that's kid stuff. 

 I question whether Halloween is for the kids anymore. I don't see many little ones trick or treating. Many are "organized" these days, trick or treating by tailgating in the parking lot. Brightly lit, with security on hand, everyone closely watched. It seems like it has turned more into a competition for decorations and attractions. The whole Fall theme rolled into one holiday. 

  But I realize that our memories are always different than the reality. The Halloweens I remember are the best, so are yours. It was a different time and place. Sensibilities were different. The world was a safer place back then, especially in the small town I grew up in. Everyone really did know everyone else, at least who their parents were and whose children belonged to who. Yes, it was the town raising the kids. Any adult could, and would discipline you, on the spot. It may only be some harsh words, depending upon their relationship with your parents, or it could be worse! That your misdeed would eventually be reported to your parents was inevitable. Oh, they would find out sooner or later. It did give you pause to consider your actions.

  There will come the day when trick or treating is folklore. Grandparents will tell their grandchildren how they used to go door to door demanding candy. How we went threatening to "trick" you if treats were not forthcoming. Disguised as all sorts of creatures we did threaten and intimidate others! Yes, this was sanctioned by the town and endorsed by law enforcement. And worse still parents encouraged this! There were no vegan options, no keto, no nutritionists advising us on our choices. In fact, the hospitals would x-ray that candy free of charge, an endorsement that it was "safe" to eat. It was a wild time. Children roamed free, demanding candy from strangers while in disguise. Trick or Treat? Ah, the good old days. A holiday set aside to extort others for candy. That's what trick or treating is all about, extortion.     Extortion generally involves a threat being made to the victim’s person or property, or to their family or friends. Trick or Treat.