“Halloween”
My sister’s, brothers and I would start two weeks early debating who would be who in disguise for Halloween. During the late fifties living out in rural Pittsburg County, there was no such thing as store bought costumes. It was all about fingernail polish, Aunt Mary’s makeup, old clothes and a lot of imagination. And, in a town of two hundred coal miner families, we were all in the same boat when it came to Halloween costumes.
But, where we didn’t have to skimp was in the available abundance of love and affection shown to each of us kids by everyone whose home we visited that evening. Now, in a coal mining town, bagged candy was not readily available. But, we never felt that we missed out on having a real celebration because families spent the week of the holiday baking cookies, small pies and cakes, making caramel apple’s, bagging various fruits; and if you were the first to arrive at Mrs. Susie’s house, you were treated to cold glass of Kool-Aid or maybe even a bottle of coke.
After becoming a parent I recounted this story to my children who slightly pass looks of disbelieve between themselves, slowly shook their little heads and mumbled in unison, “Our poor father.” Looking back we were cash poor, but the Lord knows we were not love starved are lacking in the kind of freedom denied children today, to roam the mountain side exploring and seeking adventure.
I raised my children in McAlester, in a city not lacking in a traditional Halloween celebration, but, each year I couldn’t help but think “My poor children” will never know the joys of a real country celebration of Halloween!