Lollies at the door, or porch light off?

Tomorrow is Halloween.

So, what happens at your front door?

I know people in three tribes here, and in Australia this one can start an argument at a barbecue.

The first tribe go all in.

Cobwebs on the fence, a pumpkin on the step, a costume for the dog, and a mixing bowl full of lollies by the door from four o’clock.

They know every kid in the street by the end of the night, and they love it.

The second tribe did not plan anything.

But if somebody knocks, there is a packet of something in the cupboard, and they will tip it into a bowl and hand it out with a smile.

They will not be buying a pumpkin.

The third tribe turn the porch light off.

Some of them think it is an American thing that has no business here. Some of them simply do not want strangers knocking after dark. And a few of them are sitting very quietly in the back room eating the lollies they bought just in case.

Now, a fair bit of this is where you grew up.

Plenty of us never had Halloween as kids, and it arrived here in our thirties or forties, so it still feels borrowed.

But I think it tells you something else too, and it is about the door.

The first tribe like the door open, they like the street to come to them.

The second tribe will open the door when it is knocked on, and not before.

And the third tribe like the door shut, and there is nothing wrong with that either, some of us need a closed door to feel safe at home.

None of them is wrong, and every one of them will sleep fine tomorrow night.

But every one of them is a small picture of how that person meets whoever turns up on the step.

So, lollies at the door, a bowl if they knock, or the porch light off, and what does your street do?

There is more teaching like this in The Library, and every daily post is in Daily Posts. If you would like guidance on your own path, see Readings.