Planes

If a plane crashes due to a terrorist act in the next few days - I had a dream about it last night. That being said, I thought I would commect on halloween in the UK. For some reason, though I live in a town renowned for its population of devil-worshippers and witches, halloween is the most understated event of the year. Occasionally kids will dress up and walk the streets: yobs dressed as the devil are still yobs; and they walk with the same swagger and same arrogance that on any other given day would identify them as youths in need of a awift kick up the butt. The expectation, like in most places, is that young people knock on the door, opening with the usual retort "trick or treat", and then receive candy for doing so. What a farce. What is the treat anyway, and should the saying be trick for treat? I want to see more tricks! Come on, amuse me; and with it, earn your candy. To be honest, most households these days put up a sign saying "NO HALLOWEEN" - and others just do not answer the door. How I would love to live in a community that welcomed such festivities purely becuase it is a great opportunity to have people over, to meet the community and to turn off the TV. On the subject of masks: have you ever observed somebody who is continuously beaten in a given environment slowly take on the characteristics of those doing the beating? It happens in pro-sport you know! Being a Christian has somehow given me a sense of compassion for my team mates that is rarely reciprocated, and to be honest, not expected. What I see are young players (20s) who are severely criticised day in, day out, slowly taking on the characteristic of the critic...not with the coaches, but with those around them. I have observed it at school with the classic "victim to bully" mentality which comes in part as a defense mechanism. Now that I walk on the playground of pro-sport, it seems the players are just big kids wearing a mask that reveals the fewest scars.