It is mid-morning on Halloween and no doubt the trick or treaters will be out in force throughout the surrounding neighborhoods, after school and after dinner.

 When I was growing up, Halloween was my favorite holiday of the year next to Christmas. However, I would’ve given up Christmas before I’d have given up Halloween. Why? Because dressing up in a costume so I can go out into the neighborhood with my costumed playmates and knock on the front doors of single-family-homes throughout the neighborhood was a blast. Not much was better than watching the smiles sprout on the faces of our friends’ parents, grandparents, and older siblings when they saw us in our attire and, to top it all off, everyone gave us candy, for free!

Now, some families bought costumes at the store and some families made their kids costumes from materials at hand. My mother and father were proud members of the latter group.

My favorite costume was one in which I was heavily bandaged. A leg all bandaged up, one arm in a sling, bandage on my head, black eye made so by the magic of burnt cork. I looked like one busted up little man, for a moment. Until I turned away from your front door after getting candy and you read the sign on my back.

“You should see the other guy.”