# Unbearable Guilt



## Haunt Master (Nov 2, 2005)

I had planned to not decorate my yard this year due to lack of TOTs in my neighborhood. As it got closer to the night, I couldn't handle the guilt. I felt like someone that had just served hotdogs for Thanksgiving dinner...so wrong. So at the last minute I grabbed several tombstones and my ground zombie and threw up a 2minute graveyard. I know, not great but at least I feel like the Great Pumpkin at least smiled at me as he flew by...:jol:


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

And here's my guess - even a two minute graveyard ensured you had the best decorated yard in the neighborhood, didn't it?

After all, it's not about how much you do. It's all about doing something to celebrate a holiday you love.


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## Copchick (Apr 10, 2012)

^ Perfectly said Roxy. Haunt Master, I know I couldn't NOT decorate with at least something. You probably felt much better after putting something out.


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

I know what you mean. We have a Halloween potluck at work and I'm the one that usually does all of the decorating. (Mostly because I have all of the stuff!) But it was rough this year because I am beat. (We are implementing new software and it has been a lot of work.) Needless to say I did not consider the decorating job to be up to my usual standards. I delegated more than I normally do, but wouldn't you know they still think I'm the best decorator ever. 

In the end it made me happy and seemed to make my coworkers happy. So like Copchick and RoxyBlue said, we just need to do it. One tombstone or raven will make people like us happier in the end.


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## Haunt Master (Nov 2, 2005)

Roxy you are so right. No one else in my neighborhood even puts out a pumpkin. And once again I didn't have any TOTs. But wait till next year.. you'll see... the Great Pumpkin will come.....


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

That has happened to me as well. Decorating at last minute due to guilt. I can't say this enough... All you need us a porch light and a JOL ( or just a porch light even) so no worries about a small display.


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## justintfirefly (Aug 18, 2014)

One year we weren't able to decorate at all. Decided to do the old-fashioned "pretend we're not home" thing and it worked with the exception of our neighbor's daughters that came super early. I felt AWFUL about it and later on made them a special basket of candy to make up for it


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

So who said a little guilt isn't good for you? See what you can get with it? I'm glad to hear you had something out.


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## GrimFinger (Oct 20, 2014)

Haunt Master said:


> Roxy you are so right. No one else in my neighborhood even puts out a pumpkin. And once again I didn't have any TOTs. But wait till next year.. you'll see... the Great Pumpkin will come.....


Hear, hear...


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## akalerb (Sep 8, 2010)

We're moving...which means we have to give up our haunt. The house we're looking at will have zero chance of TOT's. It's up on a hill and the road that leads to it leads to no other houses. I can't imagine not decorating for Halloween! I may have to look for a friend with TOT's and convince them to let me decorate!


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## GrimFinger (Oct 20, 2014)

akalerb said:


> It's up on a hill and the road that leads to it leads to no other houses.


Sounds perfect! More than a yard haunt, it's a Halloween destination!

Word gets around. Go for it.


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## Grimm Pickins (Nov 4, 2013)

In the next several years we are planning to move due to our workplaces being 35-45 miles from our house. More than anything else, our history in this neighborhood as 'the Halloween House' seems to the thing I would feel the guiltiest about leaving behind. Every year, I hear, "I was scared you weren't doing this anymore" from several 'patrons' and their kids. 

Living in Vermont, there aren't a lot of places that really go for the gusto on Halloween. There are lots of small places, some that have awesome haunters despite a very small and sleepy population (I'm looking at you, Nimblemonkey - you rock). Despite my inclination for that placid setting - I cannot image moving somewhere where I didn't have hundreds of kids in costumes at least one night of the year... 

Totally get it.

Grimm


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## Hellvin (Jul 6, 2008)

Good call on your part _Haunt Master_.

Two years ago we had a bitter cold Halloween night in the forecast and a pile of cold fresh snow on the ground. I had absolutely no interest in putting up a display but all day long at work, it kept nagging me that we should try and do something. Even if the weather was going to be miserable and only a handful of kids showed up, there are always a few who come out just for the "Spooky House".

Unbeknownst to me, my wife single-handedly put up almost the whole display so that it was indeed ready to roll. When I drove around the last corner approaching our house that afternoon, I was quite surprised. Good call on her part.


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