Halloween participants on decline

On Halloween, I was eagerly waiting for the children all dressed up in their costumes to ring my doorbell. Alas, I only had two trick-or-treaters. Two! I remember years back when my doorbell was constantly ringing and I gave out tons of candy.

I understand parents are very skeptical about letting their kids go to houses in which they don't know the occupants. I would be the same way. But it's sad that Halloween isn't Halloween anymore.

When I was growing up my sister and I would make two, sometimes three, trips home, dump our candy out and go back for more — by ourselves. We had a ball. It's not like that now, and rightfully so. If I had small children today, I probably wouldn't let them go out at all.

When my son was of the trick-or-treating age (in the 1970s), I would go to Pitt Plaza and get his candy X-rayed. That's really sad when you think about it, having to get kids' candy X-rayed, fearful that pins or razors were in the candy and apples.

But anyway, back to Halloween. My two trick-or-treaters were a ladybug and a princess. The ladybug was approximately 18-months old and absolutely adorable. Her name was Ava. She was everything Halloween should be: young children dressed up in costumes and so excited about getting candy. Little Ava made my Halloween. Thank you, Ava.

JO ELLEN TYSON

Greenville