Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Loving the dark of Hallowe'en

I wrote this post for another site, but I guess it was too girly for them to post ;p I like it though, and wanted to share it with you.
 
Oh baby, I love Autumn, but more than that, I love October! The sharp, crisp frosted air in the morning the falling leaves, the days of hot apple cider and cool nights huddled inside with a special someone. Not to mention Samhain and Halloween whichever you celebrate, this is the month it happens.
I don’t know about you, but Halloween and all it encompasses makes me a bit giddy. The costumes, make-up, strange snacks (have you eaten finger cookies lately?) bonfires and foggy nights, the pranks we pull on each other, parties that run late into the night, favorite scary movies we watch every year, the laughter and whispered stories that make the hair stand up on the back of our necks and give goose bumps all over our bodies; maybe I love this because I write horror, but I think it’s more than that.
The whole idea that the distance between the living and the dead thins on that one special night gives me, not unpleasant, chills. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have one last chance to speak to a loved one who’s passed on before their time? Again though, it’s more than that, I believe it is a visceral understanding that one day we will be the ones on the other side and that our loved ones may be reaching out across to us for comfort and that one last goodbye.
This time for celebrating the darker side of life, the fears, terrifying thrills and sweet startling scares, I believe, that they remind us of one very powerful thing. We are alive, the darkness hasn’t closed in over us . . .yet. And that is the same visceral understanding of the darkness that draws us to horror stories. We read things that, at times, leave us quaking with fear, unable to sleep, startled by shadows in the night. But as long as we feel these intense emotions, can hear the thump of our blood pounding in our ears, the harsh rasp of our own breathing . . . we are alive.
Horror, thrillers and other related writing can bring us as much gratitude for our lives as a self help book, if we stop to recognize our reasons behind our love of the darkness, and all the richness and appreciation they can bring to each of us.
So rather than grabbing “Oprah’s” pick and searching out some gem for renewed happiness, grab a book that encompasses all that the darkness COULD be, and be glad that your life holds none of it.
Happy Hallowe'en!


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