Halloween Fail

I was really excited for yesterday, my first time setting up shop to give out candy to trick or treaters. The hubby and I went to BJs and got a big box of chocolate bar miniatures and some small packets of Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids.

I was ready. I was so excited to see the first group of kids approaching. As they got closer I noticed none of the four of them had on a costume. There was no parent but the oldest looked about 12. When they approached us one of them said "Can I have some candy?" and the others said nothing, just went for the bowl. They took over-stuffed handfuls, nearly cleaning out my whole bowl and ran off to the next house. ONE of them did say thank you. I was shocked. I didn't even have time to think to say something. This wasn't what I had envisioned as my first Halloween as a trick or treat home.

I think the only word I can put on my feelings was disgusted. These children had no manners and no Halloween spirit, just pirating for free candy.

I'm a holiday freak, so maybe I'm taking this more serious than I should, but the whole situation made me some mixed version of sad and mad. I'd be lying to myself if I tried to say that the fact that they were Black kids wasn't a part of me feeling the way I did. The thing is, before and after they came to our house, they went to other houses in my condo. Being one of what I believe is two black houses in the complex, I felt shamed by them to my neighbors. I don't want these kids to be what my neighbor thinks of when they see my husband and I at the mailbox.

In a perfect world, people would be judged on what they do, and what they do alone. But the world isn't perfect, and people project the actions of others onto groups of people with similarities to them, and in this case that similarity is darker hued skin.

My second, and sadly, last, group of trick or treaters (since it started to rain) was four adults who were accompanying one very cute little girl dressed as Marie Antoinette. The women she came with made sure she said "Trick or Treat" and said thank you. She politely got one packet of Swedish Fish and a few chocolates and went on her marry way.

That’s how you do Halloween right.