I lived in the country outside of a West Texas city, and while we had neighbors (we didn't live in the middle of nowhere) we never really partook in activities that kids who lived in actual neighborhoods did like Trick or Treating.
If I strain myself, I can remember going Trick or Treating only once during my childhood. My lack of participation in the ritual had nothing to do with my parents level of love for me; it just wasn't as easy to go house to house out in the country. The funny thing is I don't feel like I missed out by not having traditional Halloween memories.
My dad was an elementary school principal, so instead of bugging my neighbors for free sweets, my Halloweens usually involved me going to school carnivals every year. These festivals were the highlight of my Octobers, and I never needed Trick or Treating to be happy.
As an adult, my need to celebrate Halloween diminished even more. Maybe I'm a stick in the mud or something, but adults have turned Halloween into just another reason to get drunk, dress like prostitutes, and act a fool. The only difference between Halloween and any other night out is you get to see half-naked women at the start of the night instead of at the end.
My dislike for Halloween really kicked in once I started working for residence life departments at universities. For some reason, I was always on-call during Halloween weekend, which meant I had to deal with drunk college students more than usual, and this time they were dressed up like naughty cops or nurses while throwing up. Not fun.
I don't begrudge those who live it up during Halloween. They have every right to have a good time, even if it's not my idea of one. That being said, part of me does wish I was more into Halloween than I am. Ah well.
