For my job I do a lot of reading to keep up on current events and trends in my field. One of the papers I take is the "Co-Operator" from Cook County Farm Bureau. In this last issue there was a story by Bob Rohrer who is a friend. I think Bob and I are about the same age and were raised in very similar environments. So his little article about trick or treating in the country was hilarious to me since I lived it too. Growing up we actually had it a little better since we had about 5 neighbors in the 10 mile radius of our farm in Iowa. Still, country kids always felt a little bit cheated when we heard of the Halloween exploits of our city friends. I thought it would be neat to republish some of Bob's article and share a picture or two of David and I on an Iowa country night. (As a reference, I'm the T-Rex from Land of the Lost and David portrays what a little brothers really are, the Devil. Isn't is amazing how creative our Mom's were with making costumes back then?)
Here's Bob's article - Happy Halloween to all
""Life on the farm is not fair"..that is where my mind used to go sometimes as I was growing up. "Life on the farm is not fair" would pop into my head especially in October... October 31st... Halloween!
I'm not sure my city cousin friends fully understood the why but I was certainly "looking over the fence" with envy at their glorious circumstances.
The "why" was because of the close proximity of all those houses in town.. row upon row of front doors.. with people ready to open the door and dump candy into my bag when I said the magic words..."trick or treat".
"All we have", I whined to my mother, "is rows and rows or corn and beans." Our closest neighbors, the Cow family and the Pig family, were not inclined to fill my bag with what I was in the market for. The heck with the "tricks", I was in it for the candy treats!
In fairness, Mom was very patient with me and my siblings. She would load us all into the brown, four door Ford LTD and we would drive to the neighbor's farm to trick or treat. We would then all load back up and drive the next mile to do it all over again.
I recall the year I decided to be a robot..3 stacked boxes spray painted silver and tied together with twine. That costume did not bend in the middle, was difficult to get in and out of and took up too much room in the car to transport easily. There my mom was, patiently helping me in and out of the robot suit.. neighbor's farm to neighbor's farm just so little Bobby could trick or treat. And all I was worried about was getting some of the good candy... not one of those candy apples or black licorice. As I reflect on this, I wonder if Mom would call ahead to warn the neighbor's.. trick or treaters in the country were few and farm between.
I contrast those memory pictures in my head with today and the trick or treat "success" of my kids..they use a pillow case and they aren't happy unless it is 1/2 full or more of what they call loot. They are, like I was, after the "good" candy.. the houses giving out full size candy bars become very popular.
I still marvel at a neighbor kid a few years ago who trick or treated using his roller blades, his treat bag was an empty (not for long) golf bag on a pull cart. He had the ability to hit nearly every house in town. He told me that he filled the golf bag 2 and a 1/2 times that year! That is some serious loot and a dentist's dream.
Sure, growing up on the farm had a few advantages like open space, clean air and water, loads of animals and equipment, rewarding work and plenty of entertainment options...blah, blah, blah... but bags of candy, not so much.
So my message to urban suburban kids (and dentist)be grateful this Halloween for the gifts provided to you by Agriculture.. pumpkins, corn stalks, the ingredients for the great candy's and yes...be thankful for the plenty of neighbors even if they try to give you a candy apple."
