Pumpkin Flavored Musings

Heh, somehow it seems that I always get these posts out a couple days AFTER the event which inspired them... perhaps my brain just needs to roll them around a bit before spitting them out?

So yeah, Halloween... I recently gained a whole new perspective of it, in sort of a strange way. See, ever since we got here I've been almost glued to the Tuner Classic Movies channel. Usually I flip through all the movies that are on during the week, record ones that seem interesting, and then watch them late at night when there's no one to complain about my taste in musicals. ^-^ There's just something about watching certain kinds of things by yourself that makes them more fun. I bet it ties into my obsession with being up late at night. Hmmm

Anyways, a few weeks ago I watched 'Meet Me in St. Louis', which is a lovely sweet old movie with Judy Garland in it. ^-^ It basically follows this family through a whole year, and the stuff that happened on halloween, well, it made me realize why some Christian's refuse to have anything to do with that particular holiday. For the first time in my life, I could actually see where they were coming from. Some of the old ways of celebrating halloween are really strange, and definately had obvious symbolic conotations that I myself do not agree with. And I don't mean waaaaay back in pagan times. I'm talking as close as the 50's. O.O Crazy huh? Our elders might not be as cracked as we kids always think they are.

However, as far as I can tell how most people celebrate halloween today is waaaay different from them. It's like, for once our obsessive commercialization of holidays has done us some good! I'm not saying there aren't still things about halloween that Christian's ought to avoid. Personally, I stay away from anything to do with ghosts, demons, and things of that nature. I also don't really go in for the 'watch the scariest movies you can find' on halloween deal... although, I will admit to watching a couple of the milder ones with my family and such, purely for the comraderie. However, I see no problem at all with dressing up as something fun, carving funny faces in pumpkins, and begging candy from all your neighbors. ^-^ Of course, I never pass up an opportunity for some dress-up, lol. (yes, I'll have some pictures up soon)

All in all, I've come to realize that the whole halloween issue is just one of those many details of the Christian life that comes down to two basic things: perception and conviction. The way you see things can change how you feel about them in amazing ways, and everyone sees things in a different way. It's important to be able to see that, to be able to look outside our own perceptions and realize it's okay to see things differently. If we can do that, while still holding true to the convictions God has laid on us personally, wow. Can you imagine how cool that would be? ^-^

Oh yes, and I'd like to wish you all a happy National Novel Writing Month! Expect to hear some chatter about what I'm doing for it... hehe