halloween

We've lived in our apartment for 4 years - well for 4 halloweens. Every year, there's a big party in our local park where they serve pizza and beer and wine. TONS of people come. when it starts to get dark, the mob begins to circulate the neighborhood. The first year we were there, we sat in our apartment for the first few trick-or-treaters, and found that they wouldn't come into our building to knock on doors. So we sat on the front porch with our neighbors and drank beers and handed out candy and had a great time. Then those neighbors left, and every year since we've sat there alone. key words there are EVERY YEAR. This year was no exception.

We sat on our big porch steps, with pumpkins glowing, lights on outside and in, a huge (bread) bowl clearly full of candy, a 15 month old climbing up and down the steps being generally very excited about everyone walking by.

From Halloween Pumpkin Shopping 08

And most people just walked by! we saw about a 50% rate of people who walked by actually coming to our steps. We were very confused. I guess no matter how much you dress it up, we are still renters, we still live in a place that we aren't responsible for the upkeep for, and our too-rich neighbors still think we're not worthy to be their neighbors.

That's why when i got this email from my friend Anne's mom, we were neighbors growing up - it made me want to cry -

"I remember when you two (Anne and I) would go Trick or Treating on Halloween on a night just like tonight, not too cold and not too hot. The first time was when you all were two or three and you all sat on the Logan front porch. I don’t think you all collected too much candy. I remember Anne Moody in her hot pink footy pj’s with bunny ears. We all had many great Halloween nights. Then on the Sunday night after the time change, we (the adults) would put you all to bed on the old time, pull out the baby monitors, rake a pile of leaves and put a blanket on them in our front yard and have leftovers and champagne. This included the Hills, Popples, Rolands, Logans, and Swains. Once Harriet and Chuck Dunn joined us and maybe Anne McKee. I’m sure you both remember those times. But we had a great time."

Why can't i live someplace like that? Why did i have to choose a profession that makes me live far away from most everyone that i love and why are we living in this AMAZING but too-rich-for-us neighborhood where i feel like everyone resents that we live there because we're too poor and too young. Why don't I just open myself up so that i CAN have relationships like this with the friends i have now.

Happy Halloween.