Homer'sWorld

A new month. Back in Michigan October was the real beginning of fall. The leaves drift down dreamily in red, orange, and tangy yellow. Some hang onto the trees until they are dull and brown. That certain smell permeates the air- part wet leaves, part burning firewood, part damp earth. As a child October meant Halloween. We were a poor family, my father driving a semi to support his wife and five children. There wasn't much money to spare on luxuries like candy. Halloween meant candy. Lots of it. Mostly gross stuff like candy corn, circus peanuts, and taffy. Occasionally there would be a chocolate bar. Oh, how I loved chocolate (and still do!). One year someone gave each of us the huge size chocolate bar. I remember how happy that made me.

I don't really recall many of the costumes that I wore. My mother made extravagant gypsy girl costumes for me and my brother when I was in second grade. I'll let you decide whether that changed my life in any fundamental way. I was a ghost one year, clad in an old white sheet with holes cut into it. The last Halloween that I went trick-or-treating I was a Revolutionary War soldier. In grad school I made costumes for my boyfriend Paul (Christmas tree) and myself (tossed salad) that were rather clever. That went over better than the next year when I went as Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, with a huge black dildo stuck down my pants.

I haven't dressed up in years- I think the last costume was "White Trash" which was merely a big white trash bag. Everyone thought it was clever. It is amazing what a few drugs will do to you, I guess. Nowadays I like to stay at home and hand out really nice candy. Fairly big chocolate bars, hoping that maybe one of the kids will leave my house with a happy memory.