Take a Lesson From The Kids, Have Fun!

Well it’s fall and there are a few things I love about this time of year: the World Series, football season and Halloween. No longer do I dress up and go out trick-or-treating. More like I dress up, go out with friends and look for a sweet treat of a different kind! I am not going to lie, it’s a fun “holiday”.

Another great part of this time of year is hearing all the ghost stories and reading about our city, which has a lot of paranormal activity.This week, I wrote a story on Resurrection Mary. Growing up in Clearing, the story of the hitchhiking ghost was something everyone had heard. Before writing the story, I had never met anyone or knew anyone who knew someone who had an encounter with her, yet everyone knows about her.

Is most of her legend made up? I don’t know. I am not sure exactly how I feel about ghosts. While doing the story, I talked to some people who truly believe they have had an encounter with a spirit, so much that while talking to them you kind of start to believe them.

I guess ghosts and UFOs/aliens fall into the same category — that they are one of those things people just don’t talk about because they are afraid of what others might say. Maybe it is because, as kids, everyone is scared of ghost stories because of movies, and a part of us just doesn’t want to believe in ghosts. Maybe for some it is a religious thing or others want to believe that when you die, you don’t have to be stuck on earth. And I don’t blame those people. Who would want to be stuck here after death?

It makes you wonder. If there are spirits on this earth, why do they stay? Do they look out for the living? Do they want to mess with the living? Do they want revenge, or do they just want to have fun? And if they are stuck here, how long do they have to stick around? Can they interfere with the living, or can they summon a giant marshmallow man to destroy New York City?

I’ve driven around Resurrection Cemetery hundreds of times and I have gone to other alleged haunted places, but haven’t seen anything. When we hear of people who have seen a ghost or UFO, our first reaction is to think they are ether on drugs or nuts.

Maybe it is because I haven’t seen a ghost that I am not sure of their existence. I am not denying they are out there, just not sure.

Halloween is also when old horror movies are played on various TV channels. I have seen some of these modern horror films, and honestly they are awful. It’s the same stupid movie, with the same boring killer and the same young chick with bad acting skills.

The older horror movies from the 1970s and ’80s are much better. These are the same movies that are being turned into really bad remakes.

Part of the alure for all age groups is that Halloween is a day to get dressed up and be someone you are not. For kids, it’s more fun to run around pretending to be someone else and to go out and get lots of candy. For adults, it’s about stepping out of the reality — that they hate their job, the economy is awful, they are divorced or whatever reason they have. They use Halloween as a day to get dressed up and escape from themselves and be someone else for a day, while getting drunk and playing silly games and trying to get some.

So who cares how old you are? Go enjoy the night!

(Chuck Salvatore is a general assignment reporter for the Southwest News-Herald. He may be reached at (773) 476-4800, ext. 241, at chucksalvatore@hotmail.com or at chucksalvatore.blogspot.com. Also don’t forget to catch him every Thursday on the Linda Padgurskis show from noon to 1 p.m. and on Fridays from 2 to 3 p.m. on the Out‘N’About talk show with Ron and Joe, both on WJJG AM 1530.)