REPUBLIC -- "If you can keep it." [Democracy]
Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection.
U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings
QUESTION: What action will occur now since the 45th President, DJT, has not appeared or provided documents as subpoenaed to testify under oath telling the truth before the U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings?
HALLOWEEN will come and go this week, then preparations will begin for the holidays yet to come. There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for resuming these and other celebrations in groups, many composed of lots of family and friends. This is quite a change from recent years when Covid kept everyone apart. Of course, in terms of becoming ill, we seem to be far from out of the woods since Covid hasn't left us. Also, a couple of other viruses have returned to possibly disrupt our lives more than usual. All of us are urged to get our vaccinations up to date.
Reportedly our annual flu is a bit more virulent this year with the highest number of cases in more than a decade, presently mostly in the south though medical professionals caution it's early in the season. Obtaining the annual flu shot now is highly recommended.
Then, there is the common RSV -- respiratory syncytial virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages which has become of particular concern -- presently a very high incidence in our young children in some areas of our country.
A review of various medical reports about RSV in older people summarized in a Google search reports increasing hospitalizations and death possible: "Older adults are at greater risk than young adults for serious complications from RSV because our immune systems weaken when we are older".
Wearing masks or not for all these viruses is each individual's decision based on their judgement about different situations. Masks are required to be worn in some settings by various businesses of their employees and customers. I'll soon receive my flu shot with my next doctor's appointment, then the final Covid vaccine as I continue to mask and will afterward.
I certainly hope this year's holidays do not become virus spreading occasions for many ruining their holidays to say the least.
Halloween has changed considerably since my youth when it was celebrated mostly by just young children. Older teens perceived they had outgrown this activity. We youngsters went door-to-door on what was called Beggar's Night. No more did some older children go out to "trick" the households the next night who hadn't given a treat on Beggar's Night. The holiday had seemed to evolve to a one night event that has since become known as Trick or Treat Night.
Older children and even adults in subsequent years have increasingly begun to celebrate Halloween with group parties and wearing costumes. Costumes when I was young were mostly of the home-made variety. A simple mask just covering the eyes was typically worn with or without any other costume. Some few ready-made costumes were beginning to become available for purchase at our five-and-dime stores like Woolworth's and Kresge's in my town, but this was an expense most families like mine didn't incur. Part of the fun of Halloween was concocting our own costume -- simple and basic like a sheet to be a ghost progressing to more elaborate creations for others.
Decades later when my children were young there were numerous other youngsters in our neighborhood, too. They all soon reached an age when they went out in a group without their parents. The marketing of ready-made Halloween costumes was increasingly becoming big business and has continued to be so. Many children with their parents came to our door for treats with the littlest ones coming early, usually just at dusk, to show off their costumes.
After dark when the older school-age children started arriving they encountered more than treats at our house. I had recorded eerie Halloween music and sounds such as wolves howling, chains rattling, squeaky doors, squealing creature sounds, owls hooting, high-pitched and low growling, grumbling human sounds emitted from behind our darkened garage door as the children walked cautiously and slowly up the driveway to our front door. Some children exhibited more bravado than others.
A couple years, a father on another street dressed in a lifelike gorilla costume, roamed the streets later in the evening when only the older kids were out and about to give them some unexpected thrills. He would suddenly appear out of the shadows to startle, even momentarily frighten these unsuspecting Halloweeners.
We never experienced any vandalism except one year, later in the evening, when some older kids driven from other communities were dropped off on our street we think. One of the pumpkins our children had carved that we had placed near our front door, bore evidence of a destructive busting kick we discovered the following morning.
One year I extracted the pulp from a pumpkin which I processed to use for baking my usual pumpkin pies. I determined the pumpkin wasn't any better as I had thought it might be than the canned pumpkin I usually used. Preparing the fresh pumpkin didn't seem worth the time and effort to me for my pies in future years.
After our children were grown, fewer and fewer children were visiting our neighborhood on halloween. A family with young children finally moved here but their parents had them celebrate Halloween with friends in private parties at each other's home. They were partially prompted to discontinue allowing their children to go door-to-door by news accounts of instances in some cities where children received unacceptable, even dangerous treats of various kinds.
In time, my husband no longer was able to keep getting up and down to answer the door to enjoy seeing those costumed treat-seekers lessening in number. I kept up the activity for several years though the number of children coming to our door kept dwindling even more. Eventually, we ceased purchasing treats to distribute at Halloween after being stuck with so many goodies -- too many tempting sweets we liked but didn't need to eat. Trick or Treaters haven't been on my street for many years. I no longer prepare for the event so leave my porch light off. I do have pleasant memories of the fun from all those years ago.
I Put A Spell On You -- Nina Simone
We don't celebrate Halloween though commercial interests are trying hard to promote it as another festival to encourage sale of various items, mostly costumes, to children. I have learnt to live with COPD and every attack of the flu, go through about a week of very difficult time. I hope that I can avoid the variety that threatens you there.
ReplyDeleteI've been under the impression India has numerous other festivals. Most recently Diwali a Hindu festival is one of which I am aware in nearby Chino Hills. Here's a link to some news coverage of the colorful celebration with food offerings you might find of interest:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=bYxJd_ADiBE
I live in the country so trick or treaters are nonexistent. Luckily no vandals either. Here they often have church parties for the kids. Kind of miss the adult Halloween parties though. It was fun becoming someone else for the night.
ReplyDeleteMy mother lived in the country growing up in the early 1900s. She told of having Halloween tricksters in days when most farmers still had outhouses. One year on a neighbor's farm an outhouse was turned over but someone was inside unbeknownst to the tricksters prior to their doing so as I may have related here before.
DeleteI don't see how they can make 45 do anything but I wish they could.
ReplyDeleteA guy in a full size gorilla costume pushed his way inside my house one Halloween, walked around without saying a word and left. Scared the crap out of me. I still don't see the humor in it.
Perhaps he could be found guilty of contempt with whatever penalties that might incur.
DeleteI would find some individual, costumed or not, pushing their way into my house at Halloween or any other time humorless. I'd probably be on the phone dialing 911.
I like your memories and fit with mine of earlier years. I thought, when we moved to Tucson, that we'd get trick or treaters. We did not due to the gravel driveway and possibility (still) of snakes or javelina. Now we also turn off the light to not have candy to throw away for the critters as I sure didn't need them.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to learn of more areas where there are no trick or treaters.
DeleteHalloween is the same here. Up until this year I got less than a half dozen trick-or-treaters, this year none. No more buying candy. But certain neighbourhoods are known to be rich sources of treats, so parents drop their costumed kids off in those areas to partake. Either you get dozens and dozens of kids or none at all.
ReplyDeleteI noted a few children with adults before dark walking on the opposite of the street so maybe it's changing here.
DeleteWhen I was a kid, anyone who went trick or treating past age 11 was made fun of and shamed. Now, highschoolers go out begging. It's so different.
ReplyDeleteWe don't participate because we either got few kids or carloads of kids who were not from our neighbourhood but driven in from other areas. It just became easier after our own kids were grown up to turn our light out and let others hand out the treats.
We started seeing older kids being driven in from other neighborhoods. Often they came later in the evening and could be noisy and rambunctious to put it mildly. This was reason enough for us to begin to turn off our light early after some of the younger kids ceased coming and there could be what seemed to be a lull.
DeleteWhen our kids were growing up, we made their costumes which was fun to do. Now I see kids (including my grandsons) wearing only store bought costumes and some of them are pretty pricey.
ReplyDeleteInvolving the children in a creative process of coming up with a costume adults helped them imagine from what was available in the home, or minimum purchase of materials, was part of the fun aspect of Halloween -- not some ready-made costume and mask purchased at a store.
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