There has to be a better idea than the way it is now.

Well, Halloween has passed for another year. I was thinking about the evolution of the event for me. When I was a kid, it was a safer time. You didn't have to worry about tainted or dangerous candy. Kids went out without parents [not totally alone...my brothers accompanied me] and the costumes were generated at home. We had a little old lady costume that I think all three of us wore [in different years]. It was a great costume! Gee, we were ahead of the recycling era!!!

For me, being an elementary teacher, I dressed up every year with the kids. I remember some parties that were a lot of fun. One in particular was in 3rd grade where the kids bobbed for apples and it sure was an eye opener for me. I must have never done it as a kid, because when the first kid's entire face disappeared into the bucket...I was shocked!!

Another time in 5th grade, we played real Bingo with real prizes while singing, "Do wa diddy diddy ...and doing the wave. That was a fun party.

As time went on over 33 years, the costumes were often store bought and/or of a violent, dark, or bloody nature. The main office began to ban things like plastic [or any kind of ]swords, knives, aerosol hair spray[!]. Parents would be coming in to apply make up for the kids. Then, they would eat candy, and be on a sugar high for days. [the kids, not the parents!]

Then there was the parent part of a Halloween. My favorite costume that my son wore at age 3 was when he was a fire truck. We got a big box, covered it with red paper, made ladders out of shiny aluminum foil, installed headlights and a steering wheel, a bigger black ladder on the side, and he wore a fireman's helmet. Very, very cool.

Now I am retired, and my son is a man, and so Halloween has slipped into history for me. It is fun seeing little kids dressed up, and I do buy candy. Since I live on a dead end street, I don't really get trick or treaters, and so I wind up eating the candy. Oh well, it's a tough job- but somebody's got to do it!! Umm-m Three Musketeers. The silver lining to the cloud. Boo!!!Hoo.