Visitors on October 31st

We normally don't get anyone on Hallowe'en which pleases me because when I lived in Canada Mother and I had to work in shifts to cover the constant assaults on the doorbell.

We do, however, buy in some little treats in case the ghosts and ghoulies come a'calling.

Saturday evening, we had visitors.

H opened the door to three witches whose pointed hats were bigger than they were. The tiny wiccans were accompanied at a short distance by an adult. The three short broomstick-jockeys were sweet, happy, friendly and pleasant, and quite obviously pleased with their gifts.

Later I swung the door ajar to see a werewolf and a shorter girl dressed up as a teenager would be for a night out. Both lovely, charming in fact. They giggled delightedly at my aghast face, and kept giggling as I chatted to them. Nary an adult in sight.

Then I thought 'Hey-up, why are these childer - none of whom I recognised - actually visiting my premises, speaking to me - an unknown adult and taking sweets from my possibly dangerous hand? Shouldn't I be CRBed or ISAed or something'.

Quick, call the government! Ring Ed Balls! Tell Badders! Call the emergency services!

Protect me from the children.

Then I thought 'Oh, you're all right, Danae, and they know it. They can tell good guys from bad. Besides those wands look rather lethal, and I bet the littlies can run much faster than you'.

So I went down from high alert to enjoying myself in our community, and I thought that it isn't all gone. Those children didn't see me as anything other than an adult to giggle at and who would provide them with perfectly sound sweets.

I must be OK.

When you let people be people with other people. When the community gets communing. When people trust their instincts and get about their day to day lives, all is well.

It's when we sow evil thoughts in their precious minds that the trouble begins to bubble in the cauldron.

Maybe Hallowe'en Saturday was meant to show me that all is not lost.

Yet.