It’s Halloween night, you hear a knock on your door. You open your front door holding a bucket full of candy corn and Snickers, expecting to find a mini-Cinderella or the purple Teletubby. Instead a teenager dressed up in something that resembles a fireman outfit mumbles trick or treat, takes a huge handful of candy and hurries off knocking over small children on the way.

Maybe the lack of an age limit on trick or treating is unique to Kauai, but it seems that teenagers don’t stop trick or treating until either they find something better to do or they move off the island. Who says you have to stop trick or treating once you hit 12?

I understand it may be a little awkward to open your door to find an oldie that obviously just threw their costume together 15 minutes before they hit the streets. But who can blame us?

Halloween is an important part of everyone’s childhood and giving up Halloween means giving up that one night where you get to feel like a kid again. It means giving up planning your Halloween costume months in advance, and most importantly giving up your huge pillowcase full of free candy. Being on the other side of the door seems so boring. Who wants to give away candy instead of receive it? Not me.

So on Halloween night ignore the disapproving looks parents give you as you compete with their five year old child for candy. You don’t have to bring your little brother or sister as an excuse to trick or treat.

Be proud to sport your questionable costume and brag about your pillowcase full of candy.

Don’t be embarrassed to knock on that door draped in fake spider webs and proudly sing, “trick or treat, trick or treat, give me something good to eat!”