Halloween in the '80s Was Never Dull... Especially at My House 😂
Off the Record — A Halloween Story
I'm just gonna go ahead and say it.
Halloween in the '80s was a whole different experience.
And if you grew up around my family, you probably needed therapy afterward. 😂
I'm not even kidding.
We lived in the corner house, and every Halloween my dad, aunt, and uncle would hang out in the front yard scaring the absolute hell out of the neighborhood kids.
Because apparently handing out candy like normal people was entirely too boring.
My uncle used to LAY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.Yes. The actual street.My aunt?
Well, one year she decided to get a bedsheet and squeeze ketchup all over it.KETCHUP, y'all. 😂
And then there was my dad.
Lord have mercy.
That man took Halloween to a whole different level.
He would bring out a CHAINSAW.
And I'm not talking about some little plastic Halloween prop that made noise.
I'M TALKING ABOUT A REAL, RUNNING CHAINSAW. CHAIN AND ALL.
And he would CHASE PEOPLE WITH IT.
I swear, looking back, I don't know how any of us survived growing up in the '80s. 😂
He even scared the neighbor kids so badly one year that they ended up UP IN OUR TREE.
Not running home.
Not hiding behind somebody.
IN. OUR. DAMN. TREE.
Can you imagine looking outside today and seeing the neighborhood children up a tree because your dad was running around with a chainsaw?
I'm telling you, Halloween at our house was NEVER dull.
But as much as my dad loved terrifying everybody else's kids, I think I might have been his biggest victim.
Because to this day, I CANNOT stand chainsaws.
There's one Halloween in particular that I remember like it was yesterday.
I was dressed up as a cheerleader.
Blue and yellow, to be exact.
Funny how I can't remember what I walked into a room for five minutes ago, but I can remember the color of a Halloween costume from all those years ago.
Anyway...Dad brought out that damn chainsaw, and apparently little me had officially had ENOUGH.
So what did I do?
I WENT INSIDE AND LOCKED EVERYBODY OUT OF THE HOUSE.
EVERYBODY. 😂My dad. My aunt. My uncle.
Y'all wanted to run around terrifying people?
Well, congratulations. You're all staying outside now.
And there I sat in my little blue and yellow cheerleading outfit, on the couch in our front room, peeking over the back of it and watching everybody outside.
CRYING.
Meanwhile, they're all out there hollering at me."UNLOCK THE DOOR!"
Absolutely the hell not.
YOU HAVE A CHAINSAW.
I HAVE A LOCKED DOOR.
I THINK I'M WINNING THIS ONE. 😂
I can still picture myself sitting there crying, watching them outside, and refusing to let anybody back in.
And I'm telling you, that chainsaw still gets me to this day.
Thanks, Dad. Appreciate that lifelong fear. 😂
But that's the thing about growing up back then.
Halloween wasn't just about costumes and candy.
It was about the neighborhood, the people, and all the completely ridiculous things our families came up with.
Nobody was worried about picture-perfect Halloween decorations or coordinating family costumes.
My family was apparently too busy terrorizing the entire neighborhood.And the craziest part?
These are some of my favorite memories now.
Now that my dad is gone, I find myself thinking about those ridiculous moments more and more.
The laughter, the craziness, the people who were there, and all those little memories that somehow stick with you forever.
As terrifying as it was back then, I can laugh about it today.
And I'd give just about anything to have one more Halloween with my dad and everybody hanging out in that front yard.
Although, Dad, if you're listening...LEAVE THE DAMN CHAINSAW IN THE GARAGE THIS TIME. 😂
🖤Halloween in the '80s was never dull.
At least not at our corner house.
Now I need to know...Did anybody else's family act this damn crazy on Halloween, or were we just a special kind of messed up? 😂
Because I KNOW somebody out there has a childhood Halloween story that sounds completely made up but actually happened.
Let's hear 'em!
Happy Halloween, y'all!
🎃🖤— Amber