Scary mask-happy candy day? October 21st 2021

Its’ coming and now is. What you may ponder? If you’re able to and your mind doesn’t wander.

The 31st of tober is upon us. Kids are looking for those scary masks as if wearing a mask for the past couple of years wasn’t scary enough.

Time for those stories to appear on the boob tube and even them scarier houses on your block. All cultures have their stories and one was that scary masks frightened away the hobgoblins.

Really! Really! A mask is going to scare away a disembodied spirit?

Stories are always out there and every people group has them. This is one story I remember my Uncle Mack telling us. While we sat on the porch one night. With the smudge pot going to keep the skeeters away. This was in back in 1965 when there was mostly dirt roads and very little electricity in our neck of the woods.

He said “that the story was true.” I don’t know but here it is. 

“I was walking to my brothers’ house after visiting Uncle Snow. I had stayed too late and it was getting dark by the time I walked off Killer Mountain. I had about five miles to go and hurried as fast as I could trying not to break an ankle as I walked down the dirt road off the mountain. It twisted and turned, humped up and down as I made it to the bottom. So far and its’ all good. I turned right and headed toward Candy Mink Spring where Cherokee’s and white people get their water. Those that didn’t have wells or as the saying goes “running water.”

Good Indian named Running Water oh sorry got slide tracked. Anyway…

He had hoped to catch a ride from anyone who was getting water or just driving by. A mile or so would help a lot and sometimes people would give you a lift all the way home. though it might be a mile out of their way.

Tonight, though I couldn’t catch a break nor did I see even a glimmer of far-off headlights. Now as I turned left away from the road to Salem, the road closed in further. It was really dark now with the trees lining the road and their branches hanging over the road. I knew there was a creek running close by. All this made it even darker and a little spookier!

I hurried my pace a bit as I wanted to get through this stretch of road. I passed the turn off to the Goodrich’s and the livers’ and now came “the bridge.” Bridge you ask? Yes, this one had a story of precious ribbons or some such buried there and a booger that guarded it! So, I was in a hurry to get past it when I heard footsteps coming down the road towards me.

My head felt all tingly like bugs were crawling around on top. I kept my eyes focused up ahead and tried not to look to my right. I had fired up a self-rolled P.A. cigarette (Prince Albert tobacco) and was puffing on it hard.

As I came abreast of the other walker he stopped and asked me “if I could give him a light?” I said “sure” and walked over to him and fired up a match. As the match flared-up I moved it toward the cigarette and stopped breathing for a second. There was no mouth holding the cigarette and worse there was no head!

I think my eyes got wider and breathing got harder. There was a big lump in my throat!

I think I heard thank you. I believe or thought I nodded and turned back up the road. I walked very hurriedly trying not to run. I had been told to never run from boogers! It had something to do with not being able to stop and dropping dead from it.

So, I was told!

I never looked back and finally made it to my brother Dutch’s house. This was his story.

As I said before “I don’t know if this story is true.”  Over time I’ve come to wonder what Uncle Mack might have smoked. This was before wacky tobacky, and Psychedelic drugs but there was some mighty hard liquor around at the time. Maybe some of those mushrooms that some ate or smoked?

Years later came this Halloween Night complete with masks and candy.

I remember wearing a right scary one. It was a cheap plastic Yogi Bear mask. Real scary huh?

The only hair-raising moments that happened during this night was when some scary looking girl tried to kiss me!!  She had mighty big red rubbery looking lips or maybe it was just the mask?

I still like the candy to this day. I still can’t stand wearing a mask!

Why are we so afraid of dead things?

Jesus asked “why look for the living among the dead?”

What day is this? October 20th 2021

There was a day that irritated native people more than the 4th of July! What day you ask?

Why Columbus Day of course! The 4th was tolerable because you could blow up fireworks and have a good old time.

I remember working on Columbus Day. I didn’t even get the day off. It’s only a federal holiday for the banks and the federales to take the day off. Why heck even some Schools closed and tribal headquarters did too so their people could get the day off.

So now comes the change by the yonag in the yonag house. Signed, sealed, and super-officially delivered!

Why there was rejoicing in the streets of every reservation. Tribal headquarters shut down so people could go out and dance. Everyone had a heck of a “hullabaloo!”

A dated word I know but it fits with some mindsets about it.

WOW what a bration day for us a day off to celebrate being recognized as something! Well, a day off for those that work at a federal job like working for the tribe.

Native American day indigenous day….

History lesson 101 we are technically not Native Americans since we were here before there was an America.  So, the term Native American could be applied to everyone who was born in this country, after it got its’ name!  

Hmm I wonder why this country even celebrated a person who landed on some islands and what is known as South America?

Some now celebrate Cinco de mayo-the 5th Day of May. Which is supposed to be Mexico’s Independence Day. What?  Why celebrate that? I know so people can have an excuse to buy some corona beer! A clever marketing ploy.

We couldn’t be celebrating Italians since he sailed under the Spanish flags and with Spanish ships. Hmmm truly disorienting.

History sometimes doesn’t make sense does it or is it the way we celebrate things, events?

We gloss over the lives of individuals to fit a narrative so it goes on today.

Why do the blacks have a history month and we only get a day?

Oh well, just thought I’d ask.

Consider this and I mean truly consider.

Where would we be as native peoples if this land hadn’t been discovered? Then later on colonized?

And further ponder this point too.

You know this country has some great ideas that start with this phrase congress shall not make ….  That’s a good thing but it never says holidays are always right.

If it is to recognize people then lets perhaps that the 4th of July is all American peoples day?

Heck why not!

I celebrate it every day when I wake up. God bless America and I’m still here.

Yep maybe next we’ll look at holloween…..God willing.