Wednesday, October 12, 2005

TRICK OR TREAT

I am remembering Halloween when Peggy and I were children.

We trick or treated in the day's when you left home at dusk, a big pillow case in hand and stayed out until you couldn't drag your full pillow case any longer. We dressed in whatever we could find around the house, which usually meant that we were Ho-Bo's or gypsys. One year, we were sack heads ( see picture)! There were no store bought costumes and part of the fun on Halloween was finding something to wear. 

We didn't come home until 10:00 or 11:00 pm or until we couldn't drag our full pillow cases any longer.

There were no adults chaperoning us. Just a bunch of kids who felt safe to walk miles from our homes in the dark on Halloween night.

We sang songs as we walked through the neighborhoods and shouted to the top of lungs when someone opened their door.

TRICK OR TREAT!

We were invited into homes and sat and ate homemade candy and caramel apples and talked with people that we didn't know.

It was a good time to be a kid and a safe time to trick or treat.

I still remember Peggy dragging her pillow case, full of candy and yelling,

Hey, M.L.... wait up!

Sometimes, we would walk up to a front door and shout...Trick or treat...Smell my feet...Give me something good to eat! And I do mean SHOUT!

 If no one answered the door, we got vicious....

We would go into their yard and pick up a bunch of leaves and throw them on their front porch and run for our lives, laughing. We thought we were sooo bad and sure the police would arrest us if we didn't run fast enough!

I keep the memories of Halloween past in my heart. The memories of dressing for Halloween and coming home so tired. It didn't matter how late it was or how exhausted we were, we would still spread our candy on the floor, on a piece of newspaper and count each piece.

I open my door on Trick or Treat night now to children who are too shy to even say trick or treat.

I see their parents waiting for them with flashlights.

This is a different time where children are not free to enjoy the Halloween nights that Peggy and I enjoyed and it makes me sad.

Peggy has forgotten about all the Trick or Treat nights at 1805 St Charles Court but I keep them in my heart.

This Halloween, when I open my door to give a treat to a child, I will smile and remember.

I will remember the warm Halloween nights in Birmingham and feel like a child again, inside...

What I would give on this Halloween 2005 to walk down a dark street in Birmingham, Alabama, dragging a pillow case full of candy and hearing Peggy's voice say...

Hey, M.L...........Wait Up!    Just once more.

I Love You Today Peggy!

Happy Halloween!

Mary Louise

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the sack head comsumes!
I bet you had more fun making those!  I remember putting together  cosumes that we had around the house "instead of buying them"  I remember the safety of trick or treating in the neighborhood unsupervised.  But I remember it in MARYLAND where it was nice and COOL outside.  Running around just kept us warmer.
i do wish some things could stay the same "like traditions, and families staying healthy"

Inspite of the changes in the past, tomorrow still has new promise.  Thank goodness there is beauty in tragedy, light at the end of the tunnel, relief from suffering, heaven on earth and comfort in pain.
May God Bless you will all good things.
love,
Wendy

Anonymous said...

great entry..it had me remembering too...I still go with my kids trick or treating...they are 9 13 and 17...I can't let the tradition go..and we still make our costumes too...
I'm still here..I just don't comment as much as I used to..
christie

Anonymous said...

What a great picture of the two of you. I remember, too, the freedom we had to Trick or Treat around the neighborhood. I am glad you are holding the memories for Peggy. Margo

Anonymous said...

Lovely memories! :-)

Anonymous said...

Maybe somewhere deep down inside her she does remember. She just can't bring it to the surface. Keep hope alive friend.

Anonymous said...

I remember those Halloween nights, too.  We did have fun and I believe we ran the whole time.  I was usually a gypsy!  Mother never worried about us out so late.  It was a safe and happy time unlike today.  Love you, caragricke (Barbara)