A "Safe Halloween"

Halloween in 2008 has come and gone, and so has the droves upon droves of children dressed up saying "Twick o' tweet." Actually there was a lack of children walking down the road from house to house. I've thought about the idea of "safe Halloween" for the past few years, and how it has sucked out the enthusiasm for me.

Now, I know I'm almost 25 with no children and this shouldn't have an affect on me. Being in my twenties could mean more excitement around Halloween because of all the parties at bars and all the sexy costumes that girls where out. However, I find it depressing with the lack of children out trick or treating. Hold on, I'm taking you for a "way back when" ride.

Anybody who has ever watched E.T. probably remembers the scene where E.T. dresses up as a ghost and goes trick or treating with Elliot. There were dozens of children marching in the streets trying to get as much candy as they can so they can stuff themselves sick when they get home. Even while I was sixteen and I thought I was too old for trick or treating, there were still plenty of children out there.

With the new "safe" trick or treating going on, I feel less enthused about Halloween. This was my first year of actually being around and handing out candy. It was 4 PM on Friday night and Teri wasn't home from teaching yet, so I had to pass out candy to the neighbor children when they stopped by. That made me start wondering why they would start so early. It's only safe, because nobody is home to pass out candy! More so, there is nobody home to take their children out at this time! I don't know what time or what day trick or treating was for you, but that was the situation for me.

How long will it take before trick or treating is phased out completely? Isn't this hurting the candy business? Does anybody still pass out candy after the set hours for trick or treating? Daylight savings time has also been pushed back a week which would put the safe trick or treating hours earlier in the day than usual.

Am I too crazy for thinking that I would let my children stay out later to trick or treat? That would assume that it is still around when my children are old enough to go out by themselves.