Friday, October 1, 2010

I Miss Halloween



I wish I could recapture the spirit I had for Halloween when I was a kid, you know? The buzz and crackle in the air. The excitement when I saw adverts for costumes on TV. Just the act of going to the store and browsing the aisles in the Halloween section was exciting.

"Which plastic masked hero will I be this year? Or, should I just dress as a hobo with a big, plastic cigar?"

Being in school helped fuel the mania, of course. Halloween pictures being drawn at our desks and Halloween stories being read as Halloween posters adorned the walls.

And the candy. Lord, the candy. The idea of a night where you simply walked to a house, knocked, and candy was showered down on you like manna from heaven. It boggled the mind.

Later, as fear crept into our society more and more, the holiday tarted to loose it's magic. Candy had to be checked for needle marks or razors. Home baked goods were tossed directly into the trash. Parents watched as their children knocked at doors - at the ready in case a "molester" tried anything sinister.

When I had my own children, I found myself getting excited about the holiday again. I was able to loose my adult inhibitions about dressing up and pretending. I could roam the night with the kids and participate in the mania of free candy and pretend scares. But, kids grow up. Dress up focus changes to party focus. Parties adults are not invited to.

Adult Halloween gatherings and parties always seem to have a "nudist" taint to them. An excuse to wear as little as possible and act out of line. Little by little, my past love for the holiday has dwindled away to nothing save looking forward to watching a few horror movies - which I do anyway.

So, in an effort to rekindle the fire, THE HORROR SHOW will be presenting a few items that may bring back a little of the Halloween spark that seemed to thrill us every year.

Feedback, comments and memories welcome!




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