This is Halloween

"What are you doing for Halloween?" is a question I get frequently, and the answer is usually brief: "Nothing." I mean, I may act juvenile sometimes, but I'm not a kid anymore.

And I'm not being a curmudgeon here. I love Halloween. But it seems like adults that I know care more about it than the kids did when I was a kid. I remember I was one of the last kids in my neighborhood to give up trick-or-treating, even tacking on a couple years by acting as a chaperon for my friend's younger sister. I really just wanted the candy at that point, but I also enjoyed the idea of trick-or-treating. And it seemed like I was holding onto something that everyone else thought was kids' stuff.

As an adult, I've done the Salem thing, I've dressed up and handed out candy, I've gone to the haunted houses and crazy parties and the whole shmear. It seems like I've had more fun as an adult than I did as a kid. Even not being able to actually eat the candy did not daunt my spirits. I was into it!

This year, and the last couple, I guess, I just haven't had the energy. It's the opposite of when I was a kid. now everyone else is into it and I think it's just kid's stuff. Sure, there's creativity in coming up with a costume, and it's fun to see everyone out and having a good time (and I love the old movies), but really, sometimes it seems like an excuse for some people to dress slutty and act stupid. Not everyone of course, but a lot of people (I guess for a lot of people, Saturday is a good excuse to do that.) Maybe this is another one of those days that is better when you're with someone than when you're single, like New Year's Eve or..., well, okay, that's about the only other day I can think of where it's better.

I guess what I don't understand is what Halloween is all about. Is it a day for little kids to get candy and have a good time picking out a costume, or is it a day for adults to party and drink and have a good time picking out a costume? I guess it can be both, I just don't want to seem like some kind of Grinch when I say I just don't care anymore. I mostly just wish it was a real holiday so we could have a day off.