I moved to DC in July of 2007 and when October of that year rolled around, I was SO excited for Halloween. Since the end of middle school, my participation on Halloween had been minimal because I was too old to go trick or treating, but finally I was a grown up and could contribute to this quaint societal tradition by passing candy out. So on Halloween day I went to the store on my lunch break and bought a bunch of individually wrapped twizzlers and mini crunch bars, hurried home after work, turned on my porch light, and waited for the little ghouls to arrive. I sat there for probably two hours and no one came. I decided to walk around and see where all the kids might be – there were no kids out on the streets at all. That year I ended up reverse trick or treating and taking all that candy to my friends who live in my complex. Halloween 2008 I didn’t even try, but I did look for kids as I was commuting home – again, nothing.
The thing about DC is that most people are either single or married, but without kids. There are so many young professionals in the area, and I guess as soon as people have kids, they move further out. It is the strangest thing – when a kid rides the metro, they captivate the entire train car. I like to watch the people in the metro and how they react. Usually, all the women just smile and wave and try to get the kids to reciprocate. The men usually say hi and try to ask the kids questions or make them laugh. Male or female, no one can resist these little people. It is clear that everyone seems to like kids, and that kids bring joy to everyone around them, but yet, no one seems to have them.
I have been very lucky – for the past year I have been babysitting two kids every other weekend. It has been such a blessing and has enriched my life so much! On the one hand it helps me to appreciate the stage of life that I am in, because after chasing them around all weekend, I can go home and relax and do whatever I want. On the other hand, it helps me not to forget what life is really all about – family and selfless sacrifice. I guess it’s the whole out of sight, out of mind phenomenon, but not having families around me makes me forget how great they are. This babysitting gig has just helped me to maintain that lifeline to reality.
