Halloweenies

Every neighbourhood has its own Halloween ebb and flow. People with kids move in, then those kids grow up, then eventually move out and more people with children move in. It's a slow, inevitable cycle.

My neighbourhood is barely older than I am. When I went trick or treating, kids assembled at doors in groups three persons deep. We roved the street in packs of fifteen to twenty. The Halloweens were always snowy in those days, so I could never be the dainty fairy princess, because no costume could look dainty when worn over a fluffy parka. I was a cat for many years, an angel of death (mistaken several times for a dead nun, due to the white balaclava worn underneath my hood), a good witch, and for my final trick-or-treat, Cleopatra.

The children of the neighbourhood have grown up. We go to parties now, or are supposed to go to parties, anyway. The doorbell rang maybe eleven times yesterday night, at most. That can be a good thing, because it means we can eat the rest of the candy with little guilt, but it certainly made last night quiet. I like the idea of one day where the streets are roaming with giggling children. They were nearly empty yesterday.

Also, I realize that if I want to get homework done, the office of the Gateway is not always the useful place to do it. The Gateway is manned by a host of philosophical, intelligent young men and women of our generation, who cannot help but engage in meaningful conversation whenever they get the chance.

Take yesterday, for example - an argument erupted whether Darth Vader could be beaten by Batman/Unicron/Ash from "Armies of Darkness"/Magneto/20 Unicrons/Professor X, etc.
"The comic-book Batman could take him," one participant insisted, "But movie Batman would get his ass kicked."
"If Darth Vader had the Death Star, and a host of Tie-Fighters, could he then take on Unicron?" another asked.
"Quite possibly."
"What about twenty Unicrons?"
"I don't think anybody could defeat twenty Unicrons."
"Not even thirty Death Stars?"
"Thirty Death Stars and Batman, if he turned to the Dark Side?"
Needless to say, I'm intimidated. These men are far superior to the members of the Anime Club!