Not-so-happy Halloween

Brian seemed to think it was silly, but I was really looking forward to Halloween in our new home this year.

When I was a kid and lived in the country, there were no neighbors for miles so I had to visit other people’s neighborhoods to go trick-or-treating. When I bought my house in Northside (a working-class, Black neighborhood) 5 years ago, I was excited to be in an old-fashioned walkable neighborhood and geared up for some kids in costumes. I was disappointed to find African-American kids who didn’t bother to dress up being driven door-to-door in minivans. I considered putting up a sign that read “No costume, no candy.” But I’m not that big of a grinch.

So I thought those kids were lame and kind of ripping me off – getting candy for free without even having to dress up – but at least none of them robbed me. That’s right: during trick-or-treating, some time between 7pm and 10pm, someone took my bike right off my porch! Although I did receive a wide variety of trick-or-treaters of many ages and races, with costumes ranging from slack (“player”) to rad (“Aragorn”). In fact, I was having a grand old time until Brian asked me if I had moved my bike.

So this really sucks. And I also need to point out that in the FIVE YEARS that I lived in the supposedly “unsafe” Northside (where drug deals happen on the street regularly) I never had one thing stolen from my home or my car and was never physically threatened. In nearly every other place I’ve lived since 1993 (all relatively middle-class, white neighborhoods like where we live now) I’ve had my car or home broken into.

I can’t decide whether to feel violated or pissed off. Plus I just bought that bike a few months ago and I can’t afford another brand new one! I guess I’ll just have to walk it off for a while.