October 30, 2005 - Scarey Therapy

Why do we like to scare ourselves? It’s always been an interesting question to me. In my case, it dates back to childhood. My sister and I fought a lot when we were kids but we ultimately found common ground and have become great friends. Haunted houses, creepy graveyards, and sadistic murderers’ basements are included in this common ground. My sister and I both have an appetite for horror and thriller movies. Many make me laugh but some really do freak me out. It may not happen right away; But, late at night, when I’m alone in the house, I have to think twice about how badly I actually need to walk down that dark hallway to get to the bathroom.

Yesterday, as a favor to a friend, I shot photos of the annual Haunted Trail at Children’s Specialized Hospital. Michele and Cheryl organized (read…”pour their souls into”) an army of generous volunteers to pull off something amazing. They transform the woods behind the hospital into a fright-fest. Many of these volunteers become ghastly ghouls and goblins for the night in order to make the lives of the patients at the hospital a little bit more normal. Many others toil for endless hours constructing and operating the “stages” for this event. It was simply amazing, though there was nothing simple about it.

From the looks on the faces of most of the kids, they were both frightened and festive at the same time. Screams and laughter were intertwined seamlessly. And, that’s precisely the common ground that I share with my sister and all of these children on this one night each year.