A Year of Blogging: October 31, 2011

There are some dates that everyone knows. Whether you live in the US or Europe, you know certain dates. January 1 is New Year's Day. December 25 is Christmas. And October 31 is Halloween. If you've followed my other blog, you know how I feel about Halloween. If you haven't followed that, or want a refresher, you can read last year's post about Halloween. On Halloween in 1926, Harry Houdini died. Twelve days earlier, he was talking to a group of students in Montreal bragging about the strength of his stomach muscles, and his ability to withstand hard blows. One of the students punched him twice really hard. The magician had not had time to prepare, and the punches ruptured his appendix. The burst appendix poisoned his system and he died on October 31, 1926 in a Detroit hospital. In 1993, River Phoenix died of a drug overdose. While other girls my age had pictures of Johnny Depp or NKOTB on their bedroom walls, I had pictures of River Phoenix. He was my favorite actor at the time. He was 23 when he died. Last week, someone I grew up with died of an overdose. My reaction was the same as it was when I heard River Phoenix had died. Such a shame. Another young life snuffed out too soon by drugs. If you do celebrate Halloween, I hope you have a good night. Remember to watch out for your pets- this can be a frightening night for them!