Halloween is coming in a few days and I’m reminded of how uninterested I generally am in it, and yet I have this odd assortment of thoughts that resurface from everyone else’s excitement. That’s actually strange for me to say because there are a few things about Halloween that I like. I guess I’m distracted by all the candy and horrible costumes. Most people either love or hate it, but I’m somewhere in the middle, so let me explain.

If I’m not mistaken, Halloween was originally celebrated because of the belief that the barrier between our world and the spirit world was at its thinnest on this day, and that belief has influenced much of what is associated with it today – from costumes to scary stories. I don’t know if I believe that aspect of Halloween, but since I’m a little superstitious, I’m always very wary of what I engage in.

When I think about the festivities and other stuff, the first thing I think of is horror movies. I’m scared easily, so I can’t really handle them as well as others seem to. Several of them feature possessed objects and dolls, which creep me out to an embarrassing degree. I love interesting stories that have a lot of suspense, but I’m always afraid to watch them because you never know exactly what you’re going to get. Classics like “Halloween” and “Sleepy Hollow” I enjoy. I avoid the ones that have to do with possession and exorcisms and ghosts because I feel like I’m inviting something for an experience I’ll just regret.

Speaking of those things leads me to another thing Halloween is known for: the occult and the Satanists. Of course, I don’t tend to think about that except when there’s something in the news about some delusional people who engage in things they don’t understand. Generally, I find that as silly as those people who think “Harry Potter” promotes the occult. Since I’m such a crime junkie, I think most of what crops up around Halloween doesn’t surprise me. I’m not saying, however, that we shouldn’t take these kinds of incidents seriously when they are serious. We should. Because of this, certain people tend to play on those fears, particularly those of parents.

I remember the clown scare that was going on a few years ago around the release of the new version of “IT.” Whether it’s going to happen this time I’m not sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if it does, I’m sad to say. Honestly, Halloween is like an open invitation for the creeps to come out anyway, so I can’t say it shocked me. It’s just an odd thing that annoyed me more than anything. And I’m sorry for anyone who was negatively impacted for wanting to have a good time with their family and friends.

Beyond this, I’m only interested, really, in the stuff I do with my family and all the creativity I see from some of the artists I like. I’m quite an avid decorator so, for me, I’ll decorate and make jack-o-lanterns without thinking about what this day means. I think that’s usually true for those who do celebrate it. Oh, and I hate candy. Sorry.