What Scares You?

So...what does scare you?

Slasher flicks? Monsters that jump out at you? An American werewolf in a foreign country? Transylvania 6-5000? (Do any of you get that reference?) Mine would be ghosts. I watched the movie “13 Ghosts” between two fingers.

Despite my cowardice, I love Halloween. The macabre. Things that go bump in the night. Probably because I love paranormal things. Sometimes it’s too fantastical to be real and yet, I believe it. I’ve lived in a haunted house and witnessed too many unexplained things not to be a believer. And I’ve passed on that love to my son, who refuses to watch Jason, Michael Myers or Pennywise, yet loves the story behind these serial killer slashers. He loves watching The Kill Count on Youtube.  He loves the jumpscares in his games, spending hours at Spirit Halloween watching the animatronics, and people’s reaction if they are scared. And he’s drawn them pretty well, if I do say so myself.

We watch all the monster movies we can. His favorite is “A Nightmare Before Christmas”. I prefer “Corpse Bride”. But there’s “Hocus Pocus”, “The Addams Family” (both movies), “Paranorman”, “Monster House”, “Hotel Transylvania”…wait, you say these aren’t scary?

True. They aren’t. But to us they add to the wonderfully ghoulish feel of decorations, atmosphere, and excitement that culminates in a night of tricks or treat. I usually have to make my son’s costume because he always picks something that isn’t store bought. This year he’s Sammy Lawrence from Bendy & the Ink Machine. Don’t know what that is? Here's a pic of him:

But Halloween is more than just scary movies. It’s origin goes all the way back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, when ghosts and spirits came out to haunt, and the Celts would appease the spirits by giving them treats. It’s fun and it’s scary, and the one night a year when we can all go a little morbid. Or be a slutty vampire hunter because hey, it's Halloween and I can show my almost cleavage all I want! Actually, no, I don't. I have to work. 

About 19 million people have some type of phobia. Mine happens to be acrophobia. Does the love of Halloween play into our phobias by allowing us to touch upon them in a short night of frightful fun? Would you be able to face your fears in an ordinary day, without the revved up excitement of haunted houses and things that go bump in the night? My fear hinders me on a lot of every day things, even like driving over the Hoover Dam Bridge. I try to face my fears, to push through them, but sometimes it's difficult. Your brain is screaming at you that this is silly, just drive across a bridge, but the body doesn't respond to what you're thinking. It's a frustrating, and yet ossifying because the ridged thought process shuts down all the rationale decisions.

 To celebrate Halloween, and to thank you for visiting and reading my ramblings, I would like to give away a cute little bat pin! He's really cool. with black little gems in the body and a green gem for the eye. All you have to do to win is leave a comment on WHAT SCARES YOU? ...and an email address to contact you if your name is picked (by my wonderful helper Hadrian, aka son)! I promise not to spam you!! :-)

Thank you and happy haunting!