I grew up in Michigan.

This meant that you never knew what kind of weather you were going to get for Halloween – clear and nippy, clear and freezing, rain, snow, you name it, Michigan has it.

Therefore, you had to plan for an all-weather Halloween costume.

Because no matter the weather, by God, you were going out there and getting your candy!

When we lived in Essexville, Halloween was great.

We scoured Essexville for our sugary loot.

Essexville is a very Halloween friendly place.

Good street lighting; sidewalks everywhere; and every block filled with kid-friendly houses.

Then my mom and stepdad moved us to Bangor Township.

Now parts of Bangor, I am sure, are Halloween friendly – but not where we moved to.

Intermittent sidewalks, poor street lighting – next to a very busy street; big old houses spaced very far apart.

You had to really work to get the candy, and then the results were pitiful – at least compared to Essexville.

We moved while I was in 4^th grade; so I was only a couple years from that point where you start considering maybe you were too old for Halloween, anyhow.

My brother Chick was 11 years younger than me, so when he was ready to go trick-or-treating, I’m the one who took him.

One year, I even put him in the car (a VW bug – he just fit in the little back pocket behind the rear seats!) and I went and picked up some friends, and we took Chick with us as we went and spread some Halloween cheer!

That was fun – I think Chick even enjoyed it!

At least, I hope he did.

(I know it was the beginning of his life long crush on Janet-Ruth!)

Trick or treating seems to be on the fade now.

Kids don’t get to feel that joy of being free of adult supervision while you go out in the neighborhood and demand they hand over their candy.

(And didn’t you just hate the ass hats who would demand you do a trick to get your treat?  Fuck you – it’s trick OR treat!)

Many communities have developed safer ways to distribute the candy – which is nice.  At least, the kids get their candy.

But I now realize that Halloween was about more than the candy.

Something I am amazed to admit!

It was about a little bit of freedom, and that tasted a lot sweeter than all that candy.