One Halloween night, I was out trick-or-treating with my friends Belinda and Michelle. It's possible Teah was there too. I don't really remember. But it doesn't matter. We were trick-or-treating and having the time of our little lives. I was probably a French maid or a witch or something. I don't really remember. The years of dressing up all kind of blend together for me now. But I was something awesome, I'm sure. Anyway, that's beside the point. We were walking the streets of Fullerton, knocking on doors and filling up our puffy painted pillow cases with all the sugary goodness we could get our hands on. There was always the houses of the dentists who gave us each a toothbrush, the houses in the rich neighborhoods that gave us each a king size candy bar... trick-or-treating gold..., the regular houses with the fun sized candy, the houses where candy had been left on the porch and some punk had taken it all, and the sweet houses with haunted mazes and things in the front yard. It was a typical, mystical, and magical Halloween night. As we were hard at work collecting goods for the weeks ahead until Thanksgiving and Christmas, we came to the house of an old man. He was sitting on his porch with a bowl of jelly beans. Still to this day, I feel something for this man. It almost brings me to tears just thinking about him. I don't know why the image of him sitting there has stayed with me so well, especially since I was only 11 when I saw him, but it really has. Everytime I think of trick-or-treating, I think of this man. He seemed lonely. He seemed to me to be a widower, and the fact that he was alone on his porch only encouraged that idea. He was so sweet as he gave us each some jelly beans with his shaking hands. He smiled and wished us a happy halloween. He seemed more sincere to me than anyone that night, and anyone since (at least on Halloween). It hurt me to know that most people wouldn't even eat his jellybeans because they weren't wrapped and we were told to throw away unwrapped candy. I really wanted him to know how much I appreciated his jelly beans, but being 11 didn't really know how. I'm not sure that I would be able to express my appreciation even today. But I will never forget that sweet man sitting on his porch handing out jelly beans. I don't even know how to explain why, but there was something about his gentleness and his grandpa-like smile that made me want the best for him. It also reminded me that even on a holiday as dark and scary as Halloween, we are here to help and serve each other, and that no man is truly alone.
Now you may have guessed by now that the reason I've never told anyone about that is because it's kind of weird. But, there it is. I was kind of a weird 11 year-old.
On a lighter note, the blue pumpkins up there were carved by me and my fhe group last night. The one on the left is the best because my group made it. That and it's got a mustache. This was the first year in a long time that I've carved pumpkins, but it was way fun. Also, the cat is a cat that decided to follow us home one night. I thought it was cute.. so there ya go. :) Happy Halloween everyone!