The End of Halloween for Us?

It is now 7:39 pm on Halloween night. The weather is cool, but clear. I have had a carved pumpkin with a battery light inside it on my front porch since 2:30 this afternoon. My porch light is on and there are lights on inside the house. We have had NO trick-or-treaters at the door. I actually saw some kids in costume running down the opposite side of the street around 5:30, but they never came to this side. And, there are school kids on the street - both sides! None of them know us very well, though. We're too old even to hang out with their parents.

I can only assume that Halloween has reached some sort of watershed around here for kids and parents. No more roaming the neighborhood, ringing doorbells of strangers to get candy loot. Even though I can understand it, it makes me sort of sad. How well I remember running around after dark with hundreds of other kids dressed as bums and ghosts (the cheapest costumes, after all) getting a huge bag of candy. Then the real fun - sorting all the Tootsie Rolls from the Three Musketeers from the chintzy suckers, etc. Trading with your siblings for your favorites. It's hard to think that that was more than 50 years ago.

As it is, I might decide that this is the last time I get out my knife and newspapers for a pumpkin, the last time I debate whether to buy a healthier alternative to Hershey bars (nah!), the last time I hang monstery decorations on the front door. There's still time to keep me in the game, kids!