Untaught perspectives and Halloween

Not so good with Halloween. Never got to do it as a kid. Just watched others. Why not? My parents.

There are those times of the year where similarity is easier to be found as many celebrate the same holiday. And childhood is that special time when you have to learn. Children need to be taught, a lot. What you learn as a child is what is to carry you forward as an adult.

Societies can vary on the sense of responsibility with that teaching with much put on parents where the responsibility is not total. But how much will society do if parents don't? In the US is a bit of a middle ground where for instance parents send their kids to school for quite some time without a direct fee. And society makes them. American children need to learn and American society works to ensure that happens.

Clearly society will not just let a parent determine a child's future, like by deciding that goofing off and just watching television is more fun than going to school. That's good of society.

And then there is religion. So glad to not name names so won't promote the religion of my parents, but it didn't celebrate holidays! Doesn't celebrate holidays. It is a unique difference for me which makes these issues personally relevant. But of course didn't impact things like earning potential. Still went to school, got an education. Not being taught Halloween has a very specific impact. And so it is this remarkable difference. Which means holiday postings for me have an awkwardness.

It is an interesting thing to think of the consequences of parental decisions on the life of their children. As an adult I can choose to celebrate Halloween and do! But there is an awkwardness that others might not understand even when explained as it's easy to take for granted things that are so natural in your life and the lives of most people you know.

Religious freedom is a political principle that is important to me, and am glad grew up in a country with it. Though do have a unique perspective on the boundaries, when one can question where freedom for a parent, steps over into an unnecessary constraint on the adult to be, who is so dependent on that parent to exist, as that child grows up.

So yes, as an adult I can go ahead and choose to celebrate and do, but there are those things most learn as kids which will just escape me. Same goes for all the other holidays. Oh yeah, and birthdays. Didn't get those either, so awkward with those too.

Rather than try to make some scary political post to fit with the holiday, which should have been easy, and give away my awkwardness decided to explain instead. But is still political! As subject has to do with some of the nuances of religious freedom.

And to what extent can the religious freedom of the adult parent impinge on the life of the adult to be? Maybe it is a scary post to ponder after all.

Happy Halloween!


James Harris