Halloween (Hallow Even or All Hallow’s) – trick or treat? Pride before a fall!
Halloween (Hallow Even or All Hallow’s) can be a time for when the foolish and the goolish are expressed. As a 17 year old in New Orleans, my friends, David, John, Scott, Marshall and I were looking for some sophomoric prankish adventure. Marshall had just gotten hold of a very real looking grotesque mask, so we brainstormed about what we could do with it.
The previous year, we went with a lot of others to where the annual DKE fraternity on Henry Clay Avenue near St. Charles Avenue (where the Streetcar ran) had their Halloween fun. The frats would cover the outside of their house with plastic shielding and allow kids to throw eggs at them or the house. The only caveat was that if they caught you, they would dump you into a trashcan of blue dye. We will never forget how long John had that aura to himself for a few days after getting caught that night!
We had even toyed around with doing something related to dressing up like the Beatles for Halloween, since we were all very much into their music. Some of us played guitar, and Marshall even had a Ludwig drum set like Ringo. We used to perform some of their songs at an Uptown Coffee House known as the Penny Post on Daneel Street. The thought came to us of using the mask for a Blue-Meanie like character from the Yellow Submarine movie or somehow one of us showing that he was the monster who killed Paul McCartney – from when all those “Paul Is dead” rumors were going around in the late 60’s.
Back when we were in high school, the St. Charles Avenue entrance to Audubon Park was still open to cars. Later, in our college years, the front Park area was closed to allow more safe area for joggers, bikers and walkers. I attended De La Salle on the Streetcar line with John and Marshall, David was in a private school, while Scott was enrolled in our arch-rival, Jesuit. There had been a terrible accident in late October, wherein a car was still wrapped around an Oak Tree on a curve near the golf course. As the dusk settled in on us that Halloween night, Scott drove us in his cool 1967 Mustang up to the curve leading to where that fateful accident had occurred.
We really didn’t know what to expect in the Park – it was mainly dark at night in most sections, as it was widely interspersed with those elegant looking light covers on the poles. I was familiar with the roadway, as I took my 6 mile jogs three times a week in that front section, as well as the back portion of Audubon Park that bordered on the Mississippi River - most locals referred to this as “The Butterfly,” due to the design of this concession area on the riverfront.
As the dark began to pervade us that night, we waited for oncoming cars to make that bend in the front area of Audubon Park. When this occurred, we all took turns lying next to the wrecked car wearing the mask, while the others would disembark from the Mustang, whose lights were shining on the tangled car. Then, we would all race towards the accident scene. People in their cars coming around that bend would inevitably stop to see what was going on and possibly help us, wherein the monster victim (one of us) would jump up to scare them and the rest of us! Everyone got a kick out of it at the time, even though it truly was an example of sick humor.
It happened that I had a blind date the very next week, and I found myself bragging about the above noted adventure to my date. It happened that the party we went to was near to the Park, so we were all sharing what we had done on that recent Halloween. No sooner had I completed recounting the story to my date when she dropped a big bombshell on me: she knew who had apparently died in that Audubon Park car accident! Talk about feeling aghast! That was the shortest date that I ever had, and rightfully so. It was so awkward taking my date home.
While I certainly apologized emphatically to her for my insensitivity, I learned an important lesson that night about the sacredness of life. Sure, we can and need to have fun by looking at the light side of life. Yet I’ve learned to focus more on the day after Halloween – All Saints Day! God bless you and yours!
Tasked by his Goddess to find, relocate, and then quicken, the last three Heart Tree gem-seeds, Vanx the bard, and his motley crew of adventurers, set out to do just that.
Tasked by his Goddess to find, relocate, and then quicken, the last three Heart Tree gem-seeds, Vanx the bard, and his motley crew of adventurers, set out to do just that.
