This has always been a special time of year to me. The weather in Texas has typically become pleasant, and it makes me think back to times from my childhood. My elementary school always held a carnival, and my mom often helped with the preparations. What that meant to me was that I got to have the run of the playground after school with a handful of other kids whose moms were also helping. Make no mistake about it. Extra time on the playground to eight-year-old me was like a dream vacation.
And that was just the beginning! Mom either brought my costume, or we made a quick trip home to change – it was only a couple of miles. Then, it was time for carnival games, really bad carnival food (Frito pies, nachos, hot dogs, you know, nutrition). It was one of the best nights of the school year.
A couple of nights ago, we had a full moon. When it came up over the horizon, and was big and orange. It looked like Halloween, and it made me think of one of my other childhood favorites – It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. OK, now we come to something else that was magical to a kid whose TV experience consisted of the three major networks. Cartoons were on during primetime! This one marked the beginning of more to come through the end of the year.
While I liked candy as much as the next kid, my plastic pumpkin almost always had candy in it from the year before. I liked going trick or treating, but I think it was more about getting to go out in the neighborhood. The experiences created the memories that I remember fondly over 30 years later.
What are your favorite memories of this time of year?
