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On my way to the commissary, I stopped by the PX to get more candy. Lucky for me, it was on sale (slightly) and I grabbed several very large bags to fill my bowl.
Trick-or-Treating here on an Army post is, like other things the Army does, very regulated. Hours are from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and the MPs (Military Police) are in full force keeping our neighborhoods safe.
At 6:00 I had my station out front. Jack-O-Lanterns were lit, porch light on, chair outside for me to sit in as I greeted every goblin and gave them a treat. My neighbor warned me to give out only one piece to every child. I'm glad she did!
I have NEVER seen so many kids in my life. They were in herds.
Parents were dressed up, dogs were in costume and I swear I had a blast. I would have to time my trips back to the kitchen for more candy very carefully. A break in the crowd found me rushing back inside, ripping large bags of candy open with my teeth and dumping into the bowl. Four refills and less than an hour later, I realized, I'm not going to make it. No way is my candy going to last until 8:00.
At 7:12 PM I threw in the towel. I found a break, ran back inside and turned off my light. I felt awful about it!
I realized as I'm sitting outside that these kids don't live in my neighborhood. These are the children of young Soldiers who live in neighborhoods where parents are out with their own children and not handing out candy so much. My neighborhood is more senior and parents aren't out with kids anymore. Every house is lit up. Every resident is outside with a large bowl of candy. The decorations were amazing and it was a true party atmosphere.
It made me feel good to know I could give something to these young Soldiers' families when they give so much to us every day.
I'm so blessed to live where I do and to call America's heroes my neighbors.
This was the fall out. These bags don't include the first three or four when I was calm and threw the trash out.
6 comments:
Mmmmmm . . . you give out good candy!
That is awesome! Our neighborhood got raided too...we live in an officer neighborhood with just one little street of Enlisted (which is where we live, lol) so our neighborhood was HIT.
I'm envious - I love handing out candy but the last couple of years my trick or treaters have dwindled!
Holy cow! I went to my parents to hand out candy (they weren't going to be home.) I waited and waited and waited. Finally at 7:15 I gave up and went back to my own house. Not one child came. I'll let you guess as to who's been eating all the leftover candy.
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