Halloween scares me

Halloween scares me.

I guess that's what it's supposed to do. I know many people who consider halloween their most favorite holiday.

But call me silly. I just have a huge problem with being in a large group of people all wearing masks and are unidentifiable. Watching a bloodied masked person carrying a gun or a machete around isn't my idea of fun or of feeling safe.

Even still, I wouldn't miss going over to my brother's house tonight for anything. It makes for such a fun holiday for even squeamish people like me! He lives in a historical neighborhood of stately homes. Thousands of people show up on that street every Halloween. Busses load up trick-or-treaters from out of town and take them to this street. Long lines form around the block waiting for a mini candy bar and sour tarts and tootsie rolls to fill their bags. The entire neighborhood seems to participate. Froom putting on horror theater shows in front lawns to transforming their homes into haunted house tours, it becomes a spectacular amusement park of sorts.

This is the same neighborhood I lived in as a child walking up and down the same steps of each porch with my brown paper bag every Halloween night. The large tree root still puckers up the sidewalk in front of the McDonald Mansion where I once tripped and fell; my bag of candy scattering in every direction into the dark. Now it is my friend's and brother's children that are walking up and down those same tree-lined streets.

I am wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween. Drive carefully.

Picture of me and my best friend Terry at our home on Spring Street.