Halloween

Halloween!

The fall holidays have always been my favorites. Maybe because they allowed me to get off school or maybe because they reminded me that my birthday was coming soon.

Halloween became “a thing” when my family moved into a newly built subdivision in Austin, Texas. The houses were owned mostly by veterans of World War II.

There were lots of children ranging in age from teenagers born while Dad was fighting to those of us who were the beginnings of the largest generation born in the United States…Baby Boomers.

For my first Halloween, I had been so excited to go out as a princess in a fancy dress that was a hand-me-down from my cousin.

But it was spent passing out candy to the scary people that knocked on the door. We had attempted to go trick-or-treating, but at the first house, someone in a scary mask said, “Hi.”

I freaked and clung to daddy's leg.

Virginia Serna was in Ariele’s Thursday ZOOM Writing Group through Seattle’s Greenwood Senior Center. Other stories of hers have been in Sharing Stories. The Thursday class is still running. Connect with ariele@comcast.net if you'd like to join or re-join!

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" or a writer’s name into the search function above.