July may seem like the worst time of year to have a conversation on Halloween to some, but to me it makes perfect sense. There are still three solid months to use for planning, and the best time to start buying treats and supplies is now, when no one else is doing it.
This conversation isn't going to focus on the fiscal side of my favorite holiday, instead I want to talk about something with a little more substance.
Fear.
This conversation isn't going to focus on the fiscal side of my favorite holiday, instead I want to talk about something with a little more substance.
Fear.
Once upon a time, people would freely allow their kids to walk around the neighborhood, interacting with the neighbors, collecting candy and possibly making new friends in the process. I remember the feeling of excitement when I would get to put my costume on and get ready for a night of fun. I usually had one or two good friends I would hope to run into, but for the most part I was a loner. That's not a big deal, because I still had plenty of opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.
Fast forward 20 years or so and suddenly, kids are walking in giant circles in mall parking lots and getting candy from trunks. How did that happen? How did we go from a fun night of walking around the neighborhood, checking out all the decorations and making bets with our friends as to who would ring the doorbell or knock on the door to wandering around parking lots with a gaggle of nervous parents watching? How did we forget the fun we had and allow this poor excuse for a holiday tradition to come to fruition?
I think it boils down to fear. Every day we are bombarded by a near endless stream of all the horrible things happening in this world, some accurate, most half baked and some made up entirely. These stories get repeated over and over again on 24 hour news networks that exist solely to terrify and pacify people. Eventually, we get so scared of what might happen, we don't bother going out at all, unless it is in an environment we can "control".
So, how do we fix it? I honestly don't know. I just know that it needs fixing. We're setting ourselves up to have a generation full of people who are scared of their own shadows, and with all this intolerance and hate being spewed around this election cycle, a lot of them might end up full of that same spirit.
Do you want your kids to go through life possessed of a spirit of fear and hatred? I know I don't. Let's get to work on a way to fix this, starting at home. Get to know your neighbors again. Stop being so afraid of people that are different than you. Don't let the talking heads dictate how you live your life.
Don't let fear win. Don't let hate dictate your life. Take back your humanity. That's all I got.
Fast forward 20 years or so and suddenly, kids are walking in giant circles in mall parking lots and getting candy from trunks. How did that happen? How did we go from a fun night of walking around the neighborhood, checking out all the decorations and making bets with our friends as to who would ring the doorbell or knock on the door to wandering around parking lots with a gaggle of nervous parents watching? How did we forget the fun we had and allow this poor excuse for a holiday tradition to come to fruition?
I think it boils down to fear. Every day we are bombarded by a near endless stream of all the horrible things happening in this world, some accurate, most half baked and some made up entirely. These stories get repeated over and over again on 24 hour news networks that exist solely to terrify and pacify people. Eventually, we get so scared of what might happen, we don't bother going out at all, unless it is in an environment we can "control".
So, how do we fix it? I honestly don't know. I just know that it needs fixing. We're setting ourselves up to have a generation full of people who are scared of their own shadows, and with all this intolerance and hate being spewed around this election cycle, a lot of them might end up full of that same spirit.
Do you want your kids to go through life possessed of a spirit of fear and hatred? I know I don't. Let's get to work on a way to fix this, starting at home. Get to know your neighbors again. Stop being so afraid of people that are different than you. Don't let the talking heads dictate how you live your life.
Don't let fear win. Don't let hate dictate your life. Take back your humanity. That's all I got.