Thanks for the Halloween wishes.

Here’s the body of an e-mail I received a few years ago, and I thought it might be useful to ponder today. No, I didn’t write it, but I agree with its premises.

Each year they parade her about, the traditional
Halloween Witch. Misshapen green face, stringy scraps
of hair, and a toothless mouth beneath her deformed
nose. Gnarled knobby fingers twisted into a claw
protracting from a bent and twisted torso that lurches
about on wobbly legs.

Most think this abject image to be the creation of a
prejudiced mind or merely a Halloween caricature. I
disagree; I believe this to be how Witches were really
seen.

Consider that most Witches: were women, were abducted
in the night, and smuggled into dungeons or prisons
under the secrecy of darkness to be presented by light
of day as a confessed Witch.

Few if any saw a frightened normal looking woman being
dragged into a secret room filled with instruments of
torture, to be questioned until she confessed to
anything suggested to her and to give names or what
ever would stop the questions. Crowds saw the
aberration denounced to the world as a self-proclaimed
Witch.

As the Witch was paraded through town en route to be
burned, hanged, drowned, stoned or disposed of in
various other forms of Christian love (created to free
and save her soul from her depraved body) all the
jeering crowds viewed were the results of hours of
torture. The face bruised and broken by countless
blows bore a hue of sickly green.

The once warm and loving smile gone replaced by a
grimace of broken teeth and torn gums that leers
beneath a battered disfigured nose. The disheveled
hair conceals bleeding gaps of torn scalp from whence
cruel hands had torn away the lovely tresses. Broken
twisted hands clutched the wagon for support;
fractured fingers with nails torn away locked like
groping claws to steady her broken body. All semblance
of humanity gone.

I revere this Halloween Crone and hold her sacred
above all. I honor her courage and listen to her
warnings of the dark side of man. Each year I shed
tears of respect when the mundane exhibit their symbol
of Christian love.

Food For thought… A depressing and shameful thought, but a reality that should be recognized nonetheless. There is truth here.

That said - I will now say that THE SEB FAMILY (immediate and otherwise extended portion through its various branches) chooses to participate in today’s modern secular, highly commercialized event in celebration of life.  It is a time of fun, make-believe and creativity.  By our participating and enjoyment; we thumb our noses at all the bullshit so often accompanying this day.

We have the right, nay the responsibility to participate in our own way on this day without accepting any guilt, shame or chagrin.  Today, is for fun in our modern, American world as it should be. 

I do recognize, but give little validity to the many, many various beliefs and theories associated to October 31 by all the groups/individuals who choose to take a spiritual/political/or some otherwise “stance” on the meanings associated to this time of year.

I refuse to accept the intended “chide” that the original author of this piece wove “oh so carefully” into it’s form.  However, I do understand and I, too, (like scenter) support the human rights message in it.

I do not deny historical fact or atrocities.  I am denying haters, manics, soul savers and political agenda carriers. 

Blow it out your ARSE!

We will celebrate life, enjoy the day and give no other meaning to it.

Damn skippy Mrs. SEB!

And Happy Halloween to everyone! Enjoy the night however you choose!

Food For thought… A depressing and shameful thought…

That it is. Of course, I am not going to let that stop me from masquerading as a Celt-in-a-kilt this evening. Happy Halloween y’all!

I cannot wait to pass out the bags of cat food!