Halloween 1972

Alan the Trickster

I first met Alan when I was ten years old in 1971. That was the year that the Nashville Metro Schools were desegrated and I got bussed to a new school across town. One of my first new friends at my new school was James McBride, who lived in the same neighborhood as Alan. He introduced me to Alan not long after the school year began and the three of us became fast friends. One of our most memorable adventures together was on Halloween of the next year.

I had always been big on treats at Halloween and I didn't have much experience with the tricking part. James and I went over to Alan's house as it was getting dark and, once inside, I immediately noticed Alan putting rolls of toilet paper in his treat bag. He started hustling us out of his house and I could hear his mother calling from the other room, "Alan don't forget your jacket. Alan, look both ways when you cross the street. Alan, don't stay out too late ..." Alan was literally going, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah," as we walked out the door. He stopped in the middle of his front yard and handed us each a roll of toilet paper. "Alright, let's get started!" he said as he cast his roll up into the branches of the nearest tree.

I was absolutely shocked. Roll your own house? Hmmm, well, if Alan thought it was alright... By the time we left his yard, we had rolled every tree in it. We were all laughing so hard, I was sure we were going to get caught. But his parents didn't catch on and we bolted down the street, three partners in crime.