Halloween has come and gone. But I've been thinking about that phrase: "trick-or-treat." This used to be a thinly-veiled, childish threat in form of a guise soliciting candy. There was a possibility of actually getting the trick, if adult's treat wasn't forthcoming or appreciated. Such a 'trick' usually equated to what we know refer to as vandalism.
Go back and watch the old classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis, which depicts Halloween in the early 20th century. Getting candy was truly a minor concern compared with the mayhem that the town children, completely unsupervised, were about to unleash on their town.
We've come a long way since then. It used to be understood that it was okay to let kids run amuck for an evening, committing minor acts of destruction. It was part of the growing up experience. Something for adults to chuckle about when they thought of their own Halloween exploits.
Now we have the sanitized, safe, and commercial version of Halloween. Parents now buy pre-made costumes. Gone is the creativity, the possibility, the wonder of that evening. Gone is the magic. Also, long gone is the opportunity to be a bad little boy or girl for a night.
It's not that adults have become overly protective as much as the world is a much more evil place. What used to be harmless fun equates to real risks in the modern world. Halloween is not really a fun, safe night anymore for either adults or children.
Now we have to inspect the treats for anything tampered because someone really does want to hurt our children. Homemade treats aren't acceptable; there is too much chance of a creep adding something evil inside. Kids are truly in danger of getting hurt or kidnapped.
My desire for a more scary night like 'it used to be' is really a desire for a safer life. I long for a time when the world was good enough that we could allow children to be bad for an evening. - 16759
Go back and watch the old classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis, which depicts Halloween in the early 20th century. Getting candy was truly a minor concern compared with the mayhem that the town children, completely unsupervised, were about to unleash on their town.
We've come a long way since then. It used to be understood that it was okay to let kids run amuck for an evening, committing minor acts of destruction. It was part of the growing up experience. Something for adults to chuckle about when they thought of their own Halloween exploits.
Now we have the sanitized, safe, and commercial version of Halloween. Parents now buy pre-made costumes. Gone is the creativity, the possibility, the wonder of that evening. Gone is the magic. Also, long gone is the opportunity to be a bad little boy or girl for a night.
It's not that adults have become overly protective as much as the world is a much more evil place. What used to be harmless fun equates to real risks in the modern world. Halloween is not really a fun, safe night anymore for either adults or children.
Now we have to inspect the treats for anything tampered because someone really does want to hurt our children. Homemade treats aren't acceptable; there is too much chance of a creep adding something evil inside. Kids are truly in danger of getting hurt or kidnapped.
My desire for a more scary night like 'it used to be' is really a desire for a safer life. I long for a time when the world was good enough that we could allow children to be bad for an evening. - 16759
About the Author:
Author Kasey Morton blogs extensively on many subjects related to small businesses, marketing, movies, and insurance matters, and particularly on nursing jobs and travel nursing jobs.
