Ode To A High-Strung Ghost

     Ah, Halloween!
     How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways: 

     I love the sight of the little trick-or-treaters, or even the not-so-little ones, crowding the sidewalks, brimming with excitement, running from house to house, bringing the neighborhood to life,

    I love the serious expressions on the faces of the little princesses, super-heroes, witches, ghosts, and animals and their polite, serious little voices - "say trick-or-treat," the older ones encourage their younger siblings - as they hold out their pillow cases and little plastic pumpkin buckets and ask for their treats,

     I love sitting out on my front porch in the fresh fall air, and handing out treats,

 ...and I love seeing my neighbors sitting out on their porches,  visiting with each other, everyone enjoying the evening;

...I've said more than once that trick-or-treating should be a Christmas afternoon tradition, as well, with  the streets full of people and the neighbors out and children going from door, giving everyone something to do for the rest of the day once the presents were opened and before dinner,

     I love that folks from the less-populated neighborhoods travel to my neighborhood to do their trick-or-treating; more Halloween for me!

      I love that there's so little preparation, effort, or expense required, that Halloween can in truth be whipped together in no time,  a costume, a couple of bags of candy, yard decorations optional,

...though I do enjoy and appreciate an awesome Halloween lawn extravaganza,

...as well as a simpler nod to the occasion,

​...Tom and I generally trying for a modest but decent showing,

     I love that Halloween is is a celebration that everyone is welcome to participate in and enjoy; that there's been no appropriation of the festivities by one religion, nationality, or persuasion;  that  the occasion holds no deeper significance that we must strive to pay heed to and feel guilty or uneasy about that perhaps we're not fulfilling correctly or sufficiently.
     I love that Halloween carries no baggage,

....that it's inclusive, nondenominational, and nondiscriminatory.

     Bring it on,  I'm ready.

     Happy Halloween!

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