Not Your Normal Night

Back when I was still in active party mode Halloween was probably my favorite holiday. It's one of the carefree holidays...
     No shopping
     No gift wrapping
     No elaborate cooking
     Decorating is optional
     No traveling
     No one ever pleads "Are you coming home for Halloween...?"

A holiday that involves going out in disguise, fueled by the demon rum with a license to behave badly, what's not to like?

One year my friend and I rented elaborate saloon girl costumes. The combination of black lace, red satin, feathers, petticoats, push-up bras AND working cap pistols had a shockingly powerful effect. We WERE saloon girls. It was frightening how quickly we fell into character. We were possibly the rowdiest pair at the party. I look back on that party and say "Who WAS that woman waving that gun around???"

Another Halloween my boyfriend and I donned garage sale suits and went out as 2 of the 3 Marx Brothers. I was the one with the curly hair and the obnoxious horn. He had the huge mustache and the cigar. We went to our favorite bar and won the costume contest – that was fun. But then we got asked to leave when he insisted on popping balloons with his cigar. The horn action probably didn't help. I'm sort of proud of being deemed one of the most annoying people at a bar. On Halloween no less, when there was a lot of competition.

Fast forward to a more sedate time in my life when the evening is spent handing out treats.

That year I made several impressive jack-o-lanterns, if I say so myself. I wanted to advertise: "This is a house that celebrates Halloween." A pack of about 8 boys barely old enough to trick or treat on their own, showed up at my door. Real life hooligans... shouting, shoving, hyped up on sugar and dressed to terrify they thrust out their bags and asked for... no, they demanded candy.

I kept my end of the deal and watched as they ran off to the next house. I closed the door, but then I heard a funny noise. The last hooligan grabbed my biggest jack-o-lantern and smashed it in the street, laughing like a maniac as the other hooligans whooped. I opened the door and watched the little monsters as they pounded down the street, screaming and laughing hysterically.

I envied them. I have to say, it looked like a ton of fun. Wild, unfettered, thumb your nose at the adults fun. I too wanted to make a pumpkin explode and run howling down the street with my savage pack.

I guess I'm just a 10-year boy at heart.