I've been alive for a lot of Halloweens. The earliest memories are of being taken out by my older siblings for a magical night of trick or treating.
Later, I was too old to go out collecting candy. I hated it. I wanted to keep trick or treating, but I was forbidden. I was admonished to "Act you age!". I had to be content to hand out candy because my parents had no taste for the task. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't like going out in costume.
As a young teenager I walked the streets with my friends. There was still magic in the air, but it felt tarnished. I resented the little trick or treaters and I resented the adults. Being a snot is part of being a teen. I certainly was not immune to the condition.
Then came the hard party years. Wild get-togethers and the goal was to consume as much alcohol as humanly possible. We called that fun. Getting sick was a bonus.
I spent a lot of my twenties and thirties in my own company. I still loved Halloween, but the places I lived were not conductive to healthy trick or treating for the kids. I would drink beer and watch horror movies. Not a bad time, but certainly not memorable. There was something lacking in the magic.
I was married at age forty, and there were two stepdaughters. Those were very good years. I got a lot of vicarious joy in taking them out in their costumes and going door-to-door for candy.
There was a divorce, and I was back to doing the Monster Mash by myself. These were some depressing Halloween evenings. The magic had nearly dried up at that point.
I finally met and married the woman I should have always been with. A librarian! Her family warmly accepted me, and our house was Halloween Headquarters. The grandkids came by because the neighborhood is nice and gets a lot of Halloween activity.
After a few years the grandkids moved away, and there was a pandemic. Last year, 2020, was a little bit of a letdown. We got around thirty trick or treaters, when we had been getting nearly one hundred.
Now it's 2021.
We may not have gotten the pre-Covid numbers, but Halloween was a huge success. I cannot think of one I enjoyed more.
I put on my Halloween vinyl record and kept flipping it. The original, the only Halloween, of course. It provided a nice, eerie, atmospheric ambience for the night.
We have Little Free Library in our yard, and it has been getting quite a bit of activity. For Halloween last night we put a table out front, set our chairs a little way back for proper distancing, and put out tubs of candy, toys, and books.
We wondered if the books were a good idea, but they were very popular. Most people took at least one. They were all scary books. Some for toddlers, some for older kids, and still more for grownups.
The people who came were all fantastic. A lot of younger people are moving to the neighborhood, and they thanked us for the Library. So many told us they love to use it. We keep it stocked with a wide assortment of titles.
At one point a teacher walked down and said she saw all the people with books. She made the special trip to thank us and to say how wonderful it is.
The night ended all too soon. It was a perfect Fall evening, and we met dozens of the best people in the city. The kids were beautiful and the parents were having just as much fun as they were. So were me and Clara.
I wonder if the books will make a difference in the young lives. If any will grow up to be a writer, or a creator of some sort. Or maybe simply and joyfully a lifelong reader.
That's why I created this website and why I spend countless hours on it. To spread the beauty of reading to as many people as possible. A lot of readers over the years have told me they discovered new writers through my reviews and recommendations. It makes all the effort and expense worthwhile.
It goes to show that Halloween fun is for all ages. I have my memories of making the candy rounds as a child, I can think back to the partying and the wild times. There were downs and ups. My life now is better than it ever has been, and this has been the best Halloween of my life.
Written by Mark Sieber
Later, I was too old to go out collecting candy. I hated it. I wanted to keep trick or treating, but I was forbidden. I was admonished to "Act you age!". I had to be content to hand out candy because my parents had no taste for the task. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't like going out in costume.
As a young teenager I walked the streets with my friends. There was still magic in the air, but it felt tarnished. I resented the little trick or treaters and I resented the adults. Being a snot is part of being a teen. I certainly was not immune to the condition.
Then came the hard party years. Wild get-togethers and the goal was to consume as much alcohol as humanly possible. We called that fun. Getting sick was a bonus.I spent a lot of my twenties and thirties in my own company. I still loved Halloween, but the places I lived were not conductive to healthy trick or treating for the kids. I would drink beer and watch horror movies. Not a bad time, but certainly not memorable. There was something lacking in the magic.
I was married at age forty, and there were two stepdaughters. Those were very good years. I got a lot of vicarious joy in taking them out in their costumes and going door-to-door for candy.
There was a divorce, and I was back to doing the Monster Mash by myself. These were some depressing Halloween evenings. The magic had nearly dried up at that point.
I finally met and married the woman I should have always been with. A librarian! Her family warmly accepted me, and our house was Halloween Headquarters. The grandkids came by because the neighborhood is nice and gets a lot of Halloween activity.
After a few years the grandkids moved away, and there was a pandemic. Last year, 2020, was a little bit of a letdown. We got around thirty trick or treaters, when we had been getting nearly one hundred.
Now it's 2021.
We may not have gotten the pre-Covid numbers, but Halloween was a huge success. I cannot think of one I enjoyed more.
I put on my Halloween vinyl record and kept flipping it. The original, the only Halloween, of course. It provided a nice, eerie, atmospheric ambience for the night.
We have Little Free Library in our yard, and it has been getting quite a bit of activity. For Halloween last night we put a table out front, set our chairs a little way back for proper distancing, and put out tubs of candy, toys, and books.
We wondered if the books were a good idea, but they were very popular. Most people took at least one. They were all scary books. Some for toddlers, some for older kids, and still more for grownups.
The people who came were all fantastic. A lot of younger people are moving to the neighborhood, and they thanked us for the Library. So many told us they love to use it. We keep it stocked with a wide assortment of titles.
At one point a teacher walked down and said she saw all the people with books. She made the special trip to thank us and to say how wonderful it is.
The night ended all too soon. It was a perfect Fall evening, and we met dozens of the best people in the city. The kids were beautiful and the parents were having just as much fun as they were. So were me and Clara.I wonder if the books will make a difference in the young lives. If any will grow up to be a writer, or a creator of some sort. Or maybe simply and joyfully a lifelong reader.
That's why I created this website and why I spend countless hours on it. To spread the beauty of reading to as many people as possible. A lot of readers over the years have told me they discovered new writers through my reviews and recommendations. It makes all the effort and expense worthwhile.
It goes to show that Halloween fun is for all ages. I have my memories of making the candy rounds as a child, I can think back to the partying and the wild times. There were downs and ups. My life now is better than it ever has been, and this has been the best Halloween of my life.
Written by Mark Sieber
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