Got the candy! We’ll see

Well, I went and did it. I bought Halloween candy. Now I have to wonder if I’m going to end up having to eat it all.

Last year, some may recall, there was this pandemic going on, and a lot of people – particularly parents – were concerned. It seemed that some kids would be staying home instead of trick or treating.

As it turned out, they all stayed home – at least the ones who usually come by our house did. I had purchased some candy and had it all ready to give out, but there were no takers. Nary a one. Alice and I never had that happen before. One year in Paragould, we actually ran out of candy.

But we had never experienced a Halloween when nobody came. Even when I was growing up, trick or treating was a big deal. We had candy to give and I went out and collected some myself. Last year was a first.

And besides – and this isn’t the easiest thing for old Scrooge to admit – I actually missed the kids last year. Oh, sure, some older kids don’t bother to put on costumes, but the little ones have always been so doggone cute they make up for them.

Anyway, last year demonstrated something that I have long believed, and that is the wisdom of buying candy you like for trick or treat, just in case there’s some left. And just about every year, there has been a little bit of candy left (except for that one year in Paragould), but never was there a whole bag of treats.

It was a big bag, too. One of those they stock one entire aisle with. Luckily, I had chosen a big bag with stuff I like.

And I’ve done the same thing this year. If the little ghosts and goblins show up, fine. If they don’t – well, let’s just say there won’t be a lot of candy bought for a while at the Nichol house.

I’m actually expecting some activity this year. Folks don’t seem as scared, and I don’t think being outdoors is any more dangerous than being inside, as long as people use their heads.

We’ll see what we’ll see.

•••••

Now comes a time of year when I’m happy and apprehensive at the same time.

I’m happy that it’s fall. There’s football, grilling outdoors without heat stroke, driving with the window down and all that good stuff.

However, there are also the dadburn leaves to consider. Mainly, when they’re going to decide it’s time to fall. And this makes me apprehensive. The idea of any type of yard work in the future makes me apprehensive.

The yard has been mowed recently, and a lot of leaves fell victim to the mower and catcher. However, all one has to do is look up, and there are still plenty of leaves up in the trees. I hear those leaves whispering in the breeze. I’m sure they’re debating among themselves, trying to decide on the most inconvenient time to fall.

•••••

I read where workers are getting more demanding about things like pay and working conditions. I’m not sure this is such a bad idea.

To be honest, I’ve struggled some with the issue. But then I realized that when I was young and working in a grocery store and then a burger joint, I was living in a different time. Make that a different planet. A different universe.

In those days, the young people I worked with were mostly holding down part-time jobs, to earn what we called “spending money” in those days. Maybe some of the more ambitious were saving up for a motorbike or car or even a head start toward college. Others might eventually go full-time and get into management. No one talked about a “living wage” for a teenage stock boy at the grocer’s.

To say that has changed would be an understatement.

While reading about workers’ demands, I recalled something else I read. It was several years earlier, when the job market was tight and many – not all, but many – employers were taking the attitude that “you’re lucky to have a job and you’ll work the hours I tell you and take what I pay you.”

That seems to be changing, and maybe it’s for the best. Maybe more employers will realize that if they don’t have workers, they’re out of business.

•••••

Well, they finally got around to approving the booster for the Moderna vaccine, and I’m getting put on a list to get it.

I’m definitely no anti-vaxxer. I just hope it works. I’m also holding out for the booster that goes with my first two shots. They’re saying you can mix the vaccines now, but I think I’m going to play it straight. They might change their minds next week.