Four days ago it seemed like Halloween was light years away and every once and awhile the Universe would mock me and a little ping would show up on my radar.

You know, something pumpkin or ghost related would turn up on a shop shelf, or I’d come across a Halloween themed music CD in my collection.

But of course that moment would be gone- the decoration was old and shopworn and probably made it out of the stockroom on accident and the CD would get put back in with the rest of the CD’s that I listen to in the Fall and I’d go back to listening to Robert Johnson or Tom Waits ( who can keep my Macabre self happy year round).

“I hate Summer, ” I’d pout and eventually I’d work my way into a rage of sorts.

“Halloween is never going to get here, never!” I’d scream into my Summer filled world that was full of flip flops, tanned sweaty skin and cold refreshing drinks.

And then a few days ago I was dating my Manifest and Transfers at work. I looked at the date. I checked the calander on my phone, I checked it on my computer and then I went into full Scrooge Mode:

” I don’t know what to do! I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to every-body! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!”

– A Christmas Carol

Go ahead and substitute Halloween, but you get the picture.

It was September 1st and my Jack O Lantern, Halloween was 60 days away and on top of it we get a Friday the 13 in October which like a reward for having to suffer through the rest of the unfun seasonal days I have to suffer through to get to Autumn and Winter.

I wanted to pull out my Halloween Decorations, I wanted to take out my Halloween Music I want to jump into the black sky of Fall Nights and swim until I can’t swim and I drown in an ocean of cold winter stars with only the Harvest Moon for company.

Of course I pull myself up short because somethings are meant to be savored and Halloween and the long dark winter nights that will follow it are meant to be savored.

I’ve traveled a long way to get here-

Now it’s time to enjoy myself, to celebrate, to join the shadows that will be here soon.