Memories of Halloween as a Kid
I
always loved Halloween as a kid. My favorite costume was a clown costume my mom
made. I wore it for several years. It was always so much fun to get dressed up
and head out to trick or treat. Although in north central Indiana we sometimes
had to wear our winter coats UNDER the costume!
Generally,
my brother and sister and I headed out with my dad accompanying us. We were
only allowed to visit houses of people we knew in the neighborhood. Dad would
drive us to the houses farther away, which usually included some family friends
and babysitters who loved to see us dressed up. We never went to the scary
houses of people we didn’t know who were more likely to put razor blades in our
apples! But even at that time, it was a concern. This is not a 21st
Century phenomenon.
When
we returned with our loot, mom confiscated it so we wouldn’t over indulge in
candy, buzz around on a sugar high and ruin our teeth! She consolidated the
haul into a container she kept on top of the refrigerator and doled out the
treats so they would last. I’ve no doubt she pilfered some of the choicer bits
of chocolate after we’d gone to bed.
While
we children were marginally resentful that we couldn’t stuff ourselves with
candy until we were ready to burst, our parents taught us some lessons of
moderation that still resonate today.
I am
thankful that candy and treats were rationed. Even now I am satisfied with one
cookie or one piece of chocolate when I need a fix. And….as one of the young participants
at a conference I attended a few years ago noted…..I have really nice teeth….for
my age!
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