Grandma Juice and Halloween

Would it be terrible to admit that I smoked a cigarette (to compliment all of the wine I drank) on Halloween night just in the hopes that a kid would say something along the lines of, "She smells like grandma!"?

Good. Cause I did. Yet no kid commented no matter how much I hoped it to happen.

Two kids that night stuck with me.

Boy A - Maybe 12 or 13 years old. Came to the door alone in a home-made costume. Obviously the kid was doing the best with what he had. He had a plastic shopping bag to collect candy. With one hand I was holding onto Eleanor's collar and with the other hand I presented him with a bucket of candy to choose from. He leaned down and pet Ellie, commented she was cute, and when he only picked a single piece of candy, I told him to take as much as his hands could hold. After he did, I asked if he wanted more.

Boy B - About the same age as Boy A. Came to the door with a rush of people of all ages. He was not wearing a costume at all. Instead, he was wearing a crisp plaid button up shirt with iPod ear buds handing out over the collar, baggy jeans, and new sneakers. He just carried himself as though he was trying to convince the world that he did not give a fuck and he was only out because the world owed him candy and he was there to collect. The other boy in the group that was about his age was not wearing a costume either. The adults and the small children looked amazing in their costumes but I could not help but focus on the kid with the bad attitude. When a kid picked a single piece of candy, the kid with the bad attitude asked if they were only allowed once piece of candy. I did not answer, instead I asked where his costume was. He responded, "I can't afford one."

Boy A could not afford a costume so he made one. His timid nature hinted towards a sadness. I admired the part of him that was still trying to be a kid. He probably goes to school with Boy B. My neighborhood is full of Boy Bs. Kids who act tough because they think they need to in order to survive. They hang out in front of the liquor store and ask for change and beer. If I could I would protect those kids from ever thinking that they needed this hatred and anger to survive. I want these kids to be able to be kids.

I started the whole holiday drive years ago because it broke my heart that any child would not receive a toy on Christmas but that's not enough. I feel like I need to do something year round to at least attempt to do my part. It's not fair that something like this should bother me unless I am willing to do something about it. If you know me and you agree, give me a call. Let's do something, anything to prevent the Boy As from ever turning into Boy B.