A 2020 Style Halloween

 Yes, it’s that time of year—Halloween! It has been with us in one form or another since the time of the Celts. It was a festive time celebrating the end of summer, fields ready for the harvest, and the time when ghosts could cross the boundary between death and life.




For us, though, Halloween 2020 is different…quite different. While the little ones may still have a subdued version of “Trick or Treat,” the adults are guiding their families on a trip without a roadmap—mask or no mask, how often do we have to sanitize our hands, go to the classroom or attend virtually, etc. Welcome to our road to perdition. The original road to perdition was like a Greek tragedy about quirks of fate and how they impacted people’s lives—or not!

This year certainly has forced each of us to deal with our own version of a Greek tragedy, but the choices are ours to make. How we deal with a challenge can be an ordeal or an adventure. That is not to say 2020 has been a piece of cake. It hasn’t, but also is not a time of gloom and doom. Life goes on. Generations before us also had their personal roads to perdition, but the fact we are here is proof they put their nose to the grindstone and prevailed. So will we.


Trips to see family and friends, time at the lake or seashore, and a relaxing weekend in the mountains have not been on our agenda. Nevertheless, we adjusted our sights, taken a new outlook on life, and had a good year. Kids have matured; grandkids are back in school and involved in activities, albeit more limited than previously; and a new book is on the market. “We Were Young Once…” was delayed due to COVID-19, but now is in print, eBook, and audiobook. This is the second in the Border Wars Series which began with “Color of the Prism.” By this time next year, the third book in the series, “The Russian,” will also be on the market.

Click on the image to find the book

The Border War Series are fact-based novels set on the USA/Mexico border dealing with the horrors of drug and human trafficking. Our protagonist, Ricky Basurto, takes us to the everyday wars being fought in this seldom publicized tragedy being played out in the hinterlands of the USA. “We Were Young Once…” is Ricky’s personal story.

We would not allow the pandemic to stop us. Life is too short, and books are our fantasies and joys beyond the walls of our home. Are books important? Surely, a few quotes from years gone-by will answer that question. It was Jorge Luis Borges who said, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” Not to be outdone, Marcus Cicero said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”

Continue the joys of life with a good book. 2020? Yes, a challenge but still a good year.

      ΩΩ



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