Bah! Humbug

This is the second year in a row that I have not played Halloween. I don't have any moral opposition (heh, I originally wrote "obligation"!) to the holiday, it's just no fun anymore. When I was a kid, the whole family would dress up and go trick-or-treating. But when I became a teenager and my dad died, that sucked a lot of the fun out -- we didn't trick-or-treat anymore -- but we still did fun stuff for the kids who would trick-or-treat us. Now, as years have gone by, the trick-or-treaters just seem to be doing it under duress. Gone are the days when you would open the door to a riotous "TRICK OR TREAT!!!!!" Now they just stand there, silent, holding out their bags. The parents have to prod them: "Say trick or treat!" Some manage to mumble it, followed up by another puppeted, mumbled "thank you" and then they stagger down the stairs. And forget trying to help them out:

"Oh! Don't you look cute!"
Blank stare.
"What are you supposed to be?"
Blank stare.
"Um. Well, here you go! Happy Halloween!"
Blank. Stare!

It makes me think these parents should just save their kids the misery and themselves the trouble. Just go to the store, buy a bag of candy, sit your kids in front of the TV and let them eat the candy. Boom. Halloween done.

Hopefully your kids enjoy it more than the ones who live around here....