Story by Jon Stalnaker AKA The Studebaker Dude
The Halloween of my youth is nothing like Halloween today. The Halloweens of 1956 through 1966 were the ones that I trick or treated. After I graduated to high school, trick or treating was no longer cool. We were more into mischief by then, so we did naughty things instead of begging for candy. Somehow, that was supposed to be cooler, but in retrospect, I wish I had dressed up and ate candy instead. If I could go back in time, I would not do the despicable act that continues to haunt me to this day. I didn’t hurt anybody, but I did do some damage on a dare. A friend said, “On the count of three, we will both do it.” I did and he chickened out. At the time, I razzed him about it, but looking back, he was the smart one, and I was the fool… I’ll bet he hasn’t been haunted for 60 years like I have.
We used to dress up and trick or treat with friends or siblings. Being the “baby” of a family of 5 children, I found myself with friends more than siblings because they were older than me and no longer ringing doorbells by the time I was able. I don’t remember my parents ever taking me. It was safer times back then. Of course, as I got older and was able to walk a little further, we could go to the rich neighborhoods and get the good stuff. I remember getting 5 cent candy bars and I thought I hit the big time. For those of you that weren’t around in the late 50s, a 5c candy bar was a full size treat and not the handout sized candy that is popular today. Our costumes were typically homemade. I remember dressing as a hobo because we had plenty of old and worn out clothes anyway and a little makeup to give me a 5 o’clock shadow and dirty teeth were enough to work it out. I can remember seeing a giant plastic face costume that went down to my belt, and I talked my mom into buying it for me. It fit over my head and had a small cloth body to finish the character. I was so excited to wear this thing, but it was miserable to be inside. It was so hot and stuffy, I ended up taking it on and off just so I could breathe. What a disappointment.
Today’s Halloween is more sophisticated and celebrated by more adults than in my youth. People nowadays dress up and go to work that way. Parties are not something that I remember from my youth. Going house to house trick or treating seems to be less of a thing also. This year, there were only a small handful of trick of treaters showing up at our house. We were the only ones on the street with our lights on, in my immediate neighborhood. I was outside on the porch looking for cars to stop, but most just slowed down and kept driving. I decided to wave at such cars, and the first car I waved at slowed down but kept going. It turned around and came by again, this time turning onto our side street. It turned into our driveway and I thought they were just turning around. It was a car similar to my daughter’s car, but I didn’t suspect it was her because she lives 45 minutes away and is busy tending to her farm most of the time. Even after her husband Tim stepped out of the car, I was in the dark about what was going on. I started for the car, and Tim stopped me and said I had to wait. Then someone in a box came around the car and said “trick or treat”. Dressed as Bugs Bunny coming out of a rabbit hole, looking for Albuquerque, I had no idea who it was.
She was bummed out because she thought I had recognized her car and she wanted to surprise me. Well, she did surprise me, as I failed to recognize her. And we were just discussing the old Bugs Bunny gag about taking a wrong turn in Albuquerque, the whole thing zoomed right over my head. It was a great trick, and it totally worked even after I recognized her husband. I like the new Halloween better.
