We Marooners seem to care less and less about what the “brr!” months are all about: crunchy orange leaves tinged with gold and brown, crips and nippy air all around, and anything cranberry. (Yes, the scent of bathroom cleaners included. Main Mall, I am looking at you.) Are we so wrapped up in our own thoughts, our 8 to 5 jobs, and our self-inflicted harmful thoughts that we are willing to overlook the beauty of October rushing in with the promise of more than chilly nights? The blessings of October that are centered on, but not limited to, great discounts on all things horror? And let’s not forget that during this time of the year, our folks over there at Brown Salts hold their classic take on The Midnight Convention. We all know what that means! Horror movie marathons, midnight zombie runs. ghost tours, séances, and that yummy apple pie made famous by Boothe’s. Definitely worth the two-hour trip to Brown Salts!
Let’s not forget November, where we hold the first week sacred for our dead loved ones. It also gets uncomfortably colder and colder. Better start stocking up on scarves and insulated gloves. Come December, we all breathe a collective sigh of relief. The weather doesn’t get less colder (on the contrary!) but all those pretty Christmas lights and colorful lanterns strewn just about everywhere are comforting consolations. Who could resist beautiful decorations, right? And if we are anything here at Maroon City, it’s this: Fashionable. Trend-setters. Hip to the core. Also, December gives us the perfect excuse to get drunk: Parties! And more parties! (Pro tip: Don’t get smashed during company parties. Chances are you’ll always regret what you’ve done. It’s The Morning After‘s leitmotif, regardless of whether you work at a law firm or a call center. Stick to wine, instead. It’s healthier, besides.)
So, Marooners, I ask you this: Do we no longer hold these “brr!” months sacred? September has just stepped in, so it may be too early to gauge your indifference. I fear the thought of the possibility that we will no longer hang those special wreaths on our bedroom doors to ward off evil spirits. Do we now dare scoff at the Black School Bus encounters that St. Agatha’s students claim to see this time of the year? Folks, this is THE time of the year that is tailored for us! Let’s make the most of it. Don’t trade tradition for technology, for passing fancies in the internet. Drink cranberry smoothies instead of those pumpkin spice lattes. Take part in the vigil for the Black School Bus. Book a weekend at Brown Salts and visit Wilkes’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Hang that feather and wishbone wreath on your bedroom door instead of perfecting make-up. Report to the local authorities if your neighbor seems to have a penchant for midnight walks down your street. If you think you happen to see black-eyed kids lurking an area or establishment, report that to the local authorities as well. I heard Detective Jack is doing his best to solve the recent string of suicides here in our humble island, but perhaps he’ll have the time to help.
We have only one more day left before September is officially over. Let’s take back what’s ours. Let’s not forget our roots, folks of Maroon.
[END OF DISPATCH]