Halloween Advice

1) Stay seen.

2) eyes on the prize, always (go grabbing for goodies, for yourself and others, take your eyes off what's coming to see how much you are "ahead" of others... Just no. The first shall be last, with a black eye literally. Pace yourself. Nobody's impressed by unpaid busywork done at another man's home. Take care while the master is away to see your own affairs in order.)

3) honor your elders. Acknowledge the true matriarchs and patriarchs who made you, even if you like to think you're self made, in all your procuring and consuming. Dark and light, death and life. Everyone's in the circle even if they're unseen.

4) vote the man --the person -- not the party always. It's the key to independence. Otherwise, the party owns you, your city, your region... Stagnation sets in. And the capable and talented without connections in such places know their only way up is out. It breeds mediocrity, complacency, and oh, the complaining!

5) don't pull your children down with you. Don't fix the games so they're only "competing" with like minded others... unless you're rooting for them to lose, so you can keep them close and captured too.

Put them in some activities alongside poorer and/or ethnically raised children. White on white distorts , and pulling in a few jackpot winners to fawn over later in the game makes them think they honestly won. Let your kids learn honestly to think for themselves, not echo you...

6) don't confuse aggression for its own sake with will or drive. If you believe might makes right and masculine dominates -- is stronger than the feminine -- say it already. Don't shame the gentle and intelligent in promoting your big muscle military strong boys. You worship consistently, at least. Eat up and get bigger if that's the goal.

We'll just keep our eyes ahead, honor our elders, stay seen and teach our girls to keep climbing trees, plural, many types. Not to stop after posing on the first branch, confident if the lands she will naturally inherit.

Gotta earn it, baby girl. For real.  Samhain greetings to all then. It's here again.

Added: and church bells alone won't save you from the company of sinners, of which we all are.

Shame on you... for suggesting so.  Strong women don't cover for others.