By Bob Stickley

For as long as I can remember Halloween has been a fun time for young and old.

I don’t remember when I was a kid that it was as commercialized as it is today.

Today we spend many dollars trying to find that perfect costume for our children.

As I grew up, that wasn’t heard of. All you had to do was get and old cork and burn it. Then you used it to blacken your face and put on some old coat that was twice your size and you were set for Halloween.

Of course, any old costume made of old rags or clothing was suitable, and we didn’t have to worry about some crazy person doing some type of harm to our precious children.

Many things have sprung up in the past few years such as razor blades planted in apples and popcorn balls. People just didn’t do that sort of stuff 40 or 50 years ago.

This type of behavior has caused parents today to be more conscious and search what our children are bringing home in those trick-or-treat bags.

Thank God that our churches have begun to have Halloween parties which help keep our kids safe and off darkened streets.

Hayrides are a fun thing sponsored by lots of churches, and its always fun to go on a hayride under a full moon in the crisp fall air.

Adults enjoy this type of entertainment as well as kids do.

When I attended church at Liberty Hill, we always had a hayride for the kids and when they returned one lady and her husband would have their garage set up for a good old-fashioned wiener roast.

Its always fun to watch the little ones as their eyes light up when they come home from trick-or-treating and they are so proud of all the great candy they received.

Personally, I frown on the antics of some who get a kick out of toilet papering someone’s yard. Oh yes, it has happened to me.

But it would seem as if they had to clean up the mess, they would understand why that’s not even a fun thing.