Halloween 1968

Historically, Halloween was a bad day for me when I was a child. I dreaded it each year.

I can remember being out on Halloween night. Mom and Dad were driving me from house to house. I was getting out of the car and didn’t get my fingers completely out of the way before Mom closed the car door. My poor little fingers got squished. I cried. Mom cried. I ended that Halloween with a smashed finger.

On another Halloween, Mom, Dad and I were in a car accident. That Halloween was horrible. But we survived that one.

The very next year, I had been chosen to be in the Fall school production of Rumpelstiltskin. I was an Elf. You know, the ones who spun the hay into gold. Mom worked hard, making my green costume with green sequin edges, complete with green leotards and a matching Elf cap.

The costume was great, so we decided it would be the perfect Halloween costume that year too! I mean, how many time can one use a small Elf costume?

Mom drove my neighbor and me around the neighborhood, stopping at friends and church member homes. Our last stop was at a house in a neighborhood behind our church. We jumped out of the car and ran up to house. This house didn’t have a porch or landing of any kind. Only steep steps leading to a front door that seemed to be miles in the air.

We knocked on the door.

Just as we were about to say “Trick or Treat!”, the door swung out, just missing my neighbor, but catapulting me off the steps, into the air. Luckily, one of the giant azaleas, on each side of the steps, cushioned my fall, as much as you can be cushioned by a forty foot tall azalea. It cushioned my fall, but led to the problem of how to get a little Elf out of a giant azalea.

Green sequins were flying everywhere. My leotards were ripped and torn. I was cut and scratched from head to toe. After a little work, my mom and the homeowner finally got me out of the bushes.

I was a mighty messed up Elf.

I think that was my last Halloween to “Trick or Treat.” 1968. I still don’t like Halloween.

And I’m going to be stepping gently today.

From the mind of me.