Like many people in the States (and increasingly, around the world) I love Halloween. It’s the one day a year when people let their guard down a bit and aren’t afraid to act silly.
But something scary has happened this year: I didn’t get excited for Halloween and I didn’t think of an awesome costume. Nothing like what you see pictured (Halloween 2008).
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that last year I was in the middle of exploring rainforest fragments in Queensland, Australia during Halloween. Taking 1 year off from Halloween may have killed it for me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’ve been outside of the US for most of the year and Halloween is never mentioned. There was nothing to get excited about. By the time I got back into the States (4 weeks ago) I was focused on other things to the point of not even considering Halloween.
If nothing else, one thing is for sure, I’ve been listening to a lot of Type O Negative’s October Rust lately. Halloween traditions are Halloween traditions, after all. I know many of my friends scattered around the US have also been listening to Type O so that’s fun to think about.
This year I’m still not sure if I’ll dress up, but I am tentatively planning on going to the Die Antwoord show tomorrow. Today? Heading out to tape an episode of Hilah Cooking. Prepare yourself!
Oh, and I guess I should explain Devil’s Night, huh? I didn’t realize this was only a Detroit thing until I got older. October 30 of every year is Devil’s Night in South-East Michigan. This is when, traditionally, Detroit ruins itself even more by setting hundreds of houses aflame. In the mid-90s the local government instituted Angel’s Night, a volunteer group of citizens roaming the streets to dissuade or at least immediately report arson. That has strongly diminished the number of Devil’s Night fires, but it hasn’t stopped it completely.
As an aside: my favorite movie The Crow (which I hear is, unfortunately, being remade by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch) is set in Detroit on Devil’s Night.
Don’t mean to scare you, how about some sweet links?
My Life Now: Two Years Without A Car by Darren Alff
I sold my car in August of 2009, so I’ve been at just over 1 year without a car. When you’re outside of the US it’s much easier. Inside the US you’ve got to be in one of the select cities with good public transport and bike friendliness.
Here Darren talks about his experiences getting rid of his car and why, just recently, he decided to get a motorcycle.
Pushing Back On Mediocre Professors by Seth Godin
Every student and every teacher must read this.
100 Items or Less by CBS News featuring Everett Bogue
You probably already know Everett from FarBeyondTheStars.com by now. But what you may not know is he was on CBS News last week! Congrats on being able to spread the message to people who need it most Ev!
Focus On A Freedom Fighter #002: Courtney Carver
I really dropped the ball on this, huh? The first Focus was at least a month ago.
Today’s Focus On A Freedom Fighter is with Courtney Carver from http://www.bemorewithless.com.
Karol: Why did you join Freedom Fighters?
Courtney: I initially joined Freedom Fighters because I really enjoyed your blog. The more I read, the more I became inspired by the way you live your life and the message that you deliver.
K: How has Freedom Fighters helped you?
C: Not only am I inspired, but I am learning new things about how to deliver my message in a very authentic way.
K: What are your goals with your website?
C: I want to inspire readers to discover their dreams by getting rid of everything else that is in the way. Sometimes you have to start with something as simple as a closet, gain momentum and excitement for getting rid of excess, and then you can jump into the life changing stuff. As an aspiring minimalist, I see how quickly the small changes I make in my life result in big rewards and I want to share that. I hope that my blog will be a gateway to connecting with readers for ongoing personal coaching, public speaking opportunities and other ways to spread the message that living with less makes for a much fuller life on purpose.
K: Is there anything in particular you’d like to tell the world?
C: You don’t have to wait for the right time to start. The right time is right now.
Paying off debt = freedom.
Killing TV = time.
Uncluttering = space.
With freedom, time and space you can really BE with the ones you love.
With freedom, time and space you can do meaningful work that you love.
With freedom, time and space you can change the world.
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Thank you so much Courtney! I love your message. Be sure to check out Courtney’s site http://www.bemorewithless.com.
If you’d like to be featured here you’ve gotta be a Freedom Fighter. ~45 days into the course you’ll get an e-mail with the subject line “[FF] get featured on RidiculouslyExtraordinary.com”. Respond to that e-mail and you might get featured! Join the Freedom Fighters here.
Happy Halloween!