Halloween 2007

In this my 61st year on the planet, I notice how things have changed since I was a kid. I was raised on the West side of Chicago and we were apartment dwellers. We lived on the second floor of a three story walk up, totalling 4 floors including the garden apartment. Now you didn't want to occupy the garden apartment, that was set aside for the less fortunate, but as a kid I never understood why. My mother would walk with a friend as she pushed my brother in his stroller and point out the Jones, and then she'd whisper, "they live in our building, shh... in the garden apartment"! I just figured they had rats down there. Next door to the garden apartment was the basement that housed the coal bin. We were not allowed in the basement as the coal bin was much too dangerous to even go near. It had rats in it too!

So on Halloween, we'd all dress up in our costumes and go trick or treating in the buildings. We didn't have to wear coats because we never had to go outside. We'd go door to door in our building and collect all kinds of candy and treats. As we got older, we'd venture out to other buildings, where we'd remove our coats and throw them on a pile of coats that belonged to other kids that were already there, once again never suffering the outside elements.

It was a different time. We were safe. No one ever considered harming us. There was no such thing as stranger danger and everyone just was pleased as punch to enjoy the kid's costumes and give us either a candy bar or an apple or even money. Our parents didn't have to inspect our candy, it was always safe. Society seemed to have a different mentality.

Today you answer your door and there are the little darlings and about 10 steps behind them are the parents holding automatic weapons and assault rifles, prepared to blow you away at the first sign of aggression. When the kids get home, first the candy in put through an x-ray process, then a metal detector and finally the dog is given the first taste. After that the child is told to pick out his favorite 3 candy bars and the rest is eaten by the parents to avoid sugar overdoses in the kids. It's just not the same! I liked the old way better!