There was a time in the 60’s, and 70’s when the mystery of keeping your home secure during the Halloween season was something you passed on to new neighbors.
I had new neighbors who moved in two weeks before Halloween. They were a young couple without any children and the wife thought she would bake several dozen caramel popcorn balls to pass out.
On Halloween night I stood outside in my George Jetson costume, as my kids 11 & 13 at the time were with friends roaming the neighborhood scaring the neighbors for candies.
Around about 8:00 pm some kids accompanied by their parents approached my home yelling “Trick or treat,” and were happy with my five-pound mixture of different store-bought peppermint canes, Reeses Cups, Milky Way, and Butter Fingers bars. One of the kids spoke through his mask, “Thank you, sir, your candies are better than your neighbors because they had no chocolate.”
Another kid, said, yeah they passed out only popcorn balls that my parents will throughout when we get home. When the kids continued on I walked to the young couples front lawn and struck up the conversation about what type of candies they were giving out and the young wife said with glee, she made popcorn balls. I told her how most parents will not allow their kid to keep homemade items for fear of not knowing the conditions of how or who baked it.
The look on her face was crushing, but she understood, and I offered them some of my candies, which they eagerly accepted. I walked back to my home and finished out the night with less than a half a pound of sweets left.
The following morning, around 7:00 am, I saw my new neighbors standing in front of their home looking further down the street. I walked towards their house when I noticed six houses away was toilet papered better known as “TP’ed.”
I told my new neighbor the owner of the vandalized house is a dentist and he usually passes out thick caramel candies and toothbrushes with his name, phone number, and business address stenciled in.
Every year they “TP’ed” his home in fun but he always has a 30% increase in new patients when unbrushed caramel covered rotting teeth removed fillings between now and the Christmas holidays. With the profits, he puts on a lavish Christmas party and takes his family on distant holiday vacations around the world.
As we watched the toilet paper blowing in the wind-strewn on the trees and grass of the home, my new neighbor thanks me for the Halloween advice the night before.
He says I guess, the idea my wife and I had of giving out pencils, erasers, bookmarks, and band-aids with my office address on them isn’t a good idea.
I ask, are you a new doctor in the area. He says yes and my wife is the new assistant principal at the local elementary school.
I said it sounds like a great idea, and I will help you with the cleanup next year.
My neighbor says; I guess my wife and I will be hosting the New Years Eve party. I looked at him and said, that’s a great idea, but remember never hand out any whistles.
He asks why?
The people you bought the house from passed out whistles last Halloween. It unknown for sure but I think the kids and some parents egged the house and they moved out before spring.
He turns to me and thanks me for the history lesson and for clearing up the mystery of why the previous owner moved.
I said no problem. The information is a panacea to live in the neighborhood.
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