Pumpkin paranoia? I think not, but there is something disturbing in this season.  I have to say it was spoiled for me when I was at an age of what now would be called a 'tween'.  I was reading the news a few days before Halloween while living in Long Beach, a bit South West of Los Angeles in California.  Yes, some young people back then read newspapers, the year - 1959.  Insanity linked with this 'holiday' in and just outside of major cities was beginning to really blossom.  Tales of past year's vandalism and the vain hope that there would not be a repeat performance was front-page stuff.  Tales of hooligans robbing children and causing injuries were reported. One young teen was injured, as a "prank" such as he would never walk again. Laxatives in chocolate, razorblades in fruit and LSD laced candy was all there to heighten our anticipation of the evening.  Not to neglect the usual false fire alarms and prank emergency calls.

    These events were vivid in my childhood memory. It may have been easier for my young mind to process these painful times if we weren't targets of vandalism ourselves.   And as if things like this were not disturbing enough, I suffer from seasonal affective disorder 'S.A.D.'.  This is a depressive state that begins to heighten at about this time of year, as the days get shorter.  So, my mood gets a one-two punch from depression this time each year.  My usual method for coping is disconnecting, basically ignoring the news and hype as much as I possibly can.  

    So, I've entered two Halloween contests and am writing this piece in response to this month's non-fiction nook prompt.  What gives?  Well, writing is a way in which I'm learning to cope with my bouts of depression.  Speaking about it openly and facing things that have been disturbing in my past has allowed me to process those painful things in a healthy way. And that is a good thing.