Post Halloween: Can I Get an Amen?

Now I know this will probably be the downfall of my huge following here, but I have never really understood the concept of Halloween.  Of course, when one is a new parent, it is a delight to see their child dressed up in something cute and then have all the compliments flowing in from others on how cute their child is dressed up.  I did it with my kids, so I am just as guilty. 

Although, I must say as a parent, I found Halloween to be one big pain in the ass.  When they are little and cannot make their own decision on what costume they were choosing, it was easy.  "You're going to be a pirate, Johnny, and you will be a damn good one."  Johnny responds with "Goo goo, ga ga."  Nice and simple, right?!   But when Johnny gets to be about six or seven and Johnny realizes he can pick whatever he wants to be, this is when I pretty much wanted to stab myself with a dull knife.  They would change their minds at least 98394823 times two weeks before Halloween, giving me an aneurysm every year. I finally gave up on it.  Luckily, my very odd son loved passing out candy more than he liked trick-or-treating.  My daughter was clever enough to figure out a costume on her own.  I found Halloween to be the most dreadful (ooh, good one) holiday of the year.

However, even through all of that misery (oh gawd, I'm good) Halloween with the kids could be somewhat understandable because at least in the end they would bring home some good chocolate that I could sift through after they went to bed.

The part about Halloween I don't understand are grown adults dressing up... the part that wants to scare others... the part about evil, disgust, blood, gore... seriously people.. WTF is that about?  And what is worse is when your job has a theme and everyone has to come dressed up as something.  This is the only time in my life I had wished I were a Jehovah's Witness. I remember participating in this Halloween event many years ago at my job and I came dressed as a hippie (it wasn't too far off of my outside of work norm) and carrying around a 'fake' joint while pretending to take long drags off of it as I walked around the office (also not too far off of my norm).   Looking back, that probably wasn't the smartest role to take, but I think I was more or less trying to not be 'dressed up'.  I probably confirmed for everyone what they already suspected.  I was a stoner.

Please just don't ask about the time in my more recent years I was convinced to go to a Halloween party dressed as a drunken Red Hat Lady carrying a bottle of Stolis in a brown bag.  Not good.  Not good at all.

My new look on life is not to judge anyone, so I won't do that.  If you want to dress up and go as an axe murderer next Halloween, be my guest.   If you want to go as a Zombie and pretend you want to eat my face off, fine by me.  Although, this could be scary for real since people smoking spice actually try and do this, but still, on Halloween, I'd be less afraid.  Perhaps if I must join in on such an occasion one day in the future, I shall go as a Judge Rebeka.  That way I can judge you and not be judged for being a hypocrite...!?