Halloween was my favorite holiday growing up.
The Halloween Spirit
I loved the children’s Halloween movies that aired every October.
When I was little, my parents took me to iParty for decorations and costumes. Even just looking at them was enough fun for me.
Then we’d trick or treat with the rest of the neighborhood kids. I dressed as a witch in both kindergarten and first grade.
Then I dressed as Little Red Riding Hood in second grade.
Haunts and Parties
I loved trick or treating, but it isn’t a real option for me anymore. However, I still love Halloween, so now I go to haunted houses and costume parties.
Above was my first haunted house when I was sixteen. This attraction was especially fun because it was five different themed haunts in one.
I thought that Dorothy and the Scarecrow were human statues waiting to scare me. I told my friend, “Take the picture! Take the picture!” through my gritted teeth.
Having Fun as an Adult
Having fun as an adult is a lot harder than as a child. It’s obvious, yet easy to neglect. When you’re younger, you believe that your parents will do everything for you. You have no concept of money, diabetes, or any kind of responsibility.
Then when you grow up, most of your friends have either moved away or moved on. This means that you don’t have many people around to get in the spirit with you. On top of that, you likely have college and/or jobs overwhelming you. Consequently, keeping the Halloween spirit alive increasingly becomes a burden.
This applies to people who’ve never liked Halloween. There are adults who have so many responsibilities that trying to celebrate the same things is too overwhelming.
This is inevitable. People grow up. If you’re 24, you’re likely not going to feel the same way about most things as when you were 6. You can’t have fun the exact same way throughout your life. You’re either going to disappoint yourself because you’ve grown up, or exhaust your friends because they’ve grown up. This is natural.
Growing up, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun at all.
Just because I don’t trick or treat anymore doesn’t mean that I had to denounce Halloween. Honestly, I prefer going to haunts and parties over trick or treating. I’m not so overwhelmed with candy anymore.
I accepted that I grew up, and I got to keep something very important to me. I just had to change my approach to it, and I could have fun with it as an adult.
Having fun as an adult is harder, but in a way, that actually makes it more important. This way, you have things to look forward to between the times that you’re overwhelmed with work. Even if you’re thriving, you won’t burn out if you balance work with hobbies and outings.
Whether you love or hate Halloween, just because you’ve changed doesn’t mean that you can’t find any joy in what you used to. Even if you’ve grown up, you can still enjoy the same things with a different approach. It is vital to seek out joy in all stages of your life, regardless of change.
