So, someone sent me a torrent of all the Simpson's Halloween episodes. I used to be genuinely terrified watching these every Halloween when I'd come home from Trick or Treating with my sisters. No doubt sweating my little ass off from the Tennessee heat (which creeps all the way in to December sometimes) in whatever horrible, itchy fabric those costumes are made of. I think it's some kind of polyester/astro turf blend.
I was kind of a total puss as a kid, as you can imagine.
But, that's another story for another time. This is about Halloween. I got to thinking back to those Halloween of yesteryear and how much I miss them. Dumping out massive garbage bags (not grocery bags, fucking garbage bags) of candy to auction off to each other. That's the drawback of having siblings. Occasionally, you'll have to loose a Kit Kat or two if you want some Skittles.
Growing up, my family really only celebrated Halloween. Any other Holiday was celebrated at the expense of someone else. Christmas was never big around here. The only person that gets anything on Christmas is my niece. We feel we owe it to her to make her holidays as whimsical as possible before she's thrust into the bitter coldness of adult life.
Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving. They can all blow it out their ass as far as my family is concerned. I think it's the "getting something for nothing" element that holds appeal to us. In autumn, there's always a twinge of joy around the house that's usually never there. The kind if excitement you'd expect from a family that doesn't try to sate their deep seeded bitterness with alcohol and narcotics.
I don't like this time of year. It's June. It's humid. Sitting in the sun makes me feel like my flesh is baking and it's fucking relentless here in the south. I want it to be Autumn. I want my pre-Halloween giddiness.
This summer has been hell. I'm ready for it to end.