| By :
Betty Locke
Halloween is almost here and once again on the night when the grisly ghouls are abroad, at around twilight, small people will be at our door steps peering at us out of slits in ghastly masks and proffering hopeful begging bags and baskets. "Trick or Treat!" they shout in menacing tones. We affect an attitude of abject fear and toss some sickly sweet treats on top of the accumulating nauseating candy piles. The little goblins and ghosts squeal with laughter at having intimidated us into a donation and having fooled us into not having the least suspicion as to their identity, even if we recognize their voices and they live next door. Eventually, after repeating the scene over and over they go home with loads and loads of tasty but evil tooth destroying, unhealthful refined sugar. In many cases much of the booty goes uneaten. Parents have been known to throw some of it out. After all, how much confection can a little stomach take? Halloween is supposed to be fun and we go along with the charade but what a shame to spoil the annual joyful lark by lacing the merriment with poisons. Apples and other fruit are good alternatives to candy but not in huge quantities so we can't have everyone tossing in apples. Besides that would tend to make the bags very heavy. Also I am sure some would rot before it could be eaten. WELL SO WHAT? THEY ARE NOT MY KIDS! In two or three hours, the yearly circus will be all over for another eleven months. So why should I care if their health and pretty smiles are compromised? I won't be paying their dental bills! Is it my fault if they develop diabetes at some future date? Of course not! WHY IN THE WORLD SHOULD I CARE? So who am I kidding? The undeniable indisputable fact is that I DO care! So because I have concerns about what goes into the bags of other people's kids I admit that for the last few years I have not pitched in a scrap of candy. Instead I buy cheap toys such as party favors at the dollar store or wherever I can find them. Actually I keep an eye out and collect them all year. A cheap plastic car or ship or plane will at least provide fun for an hour or so before being discarded and will not damage young bodies or generate hyper activity. A few crayons or a fancy pencil with a feather on the end might cater to the inner artist residing in every child. A rubber ball, a whistle, a puzzle or a game will provide amusement without causing cavities. Dangling Bracelets, necklaces or bejeweled plastic tiaras might stoke the imaginations of potential young performers. At this point I should make it clear that I am not a hundred percent averse to candy. I have been known to enjoy chocolate occasionally. But l think we do kids no favors by shoveling truckloads of sugar down their throats. Children come already packaged naturally sweet!
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