Panama Canal for Trunk or Treat
Happy Halloween! Trunk or Treat has been a tradition for us at our church event for several years. You can see some of Laura’s past creations here and here.
For this year, Laura decided to go with our recent experiences, so that our trunk was a trip to the Panama Canal!
Because this event was at our church, and because our trip to Panama was a church trip, we thought that most people would get the connection. We did have lots and lots of visitors from the neighborhood around our church building who probably did not get the connection, but most everyone knows what the Panama Canal is, so we figured it would be just fine.
The Two of Us
And I got in on the act, too.
If you are wondering, Laura and I are dressed like traditional Panamanian dancers. And if you are wondering, Laura’s shirt came from Panama, although she had made the skirt herself several years ago. And the beaded comb in her hair also came from Panama. I was wearing my Panama hat, and yes, I had gotten that in Panama as well.
Of course, it would have been even easier if we could have brought home this photo opportunity from a restaurant we visited:
As always, Trunk or Treat was a great night with lots of fun. We gave candy to over 300 children that night! And who knows what Laura will come up with for the next year?
Talking to Strangers
I will be the first to admit that talking to strangers is a little bit out of my comfort zone. It is much easier to talk to people that I already know.
However, when you are at an event with over 700 people, more than half of whom you probably do not know, chances are good that you will have to talk to someone that you do not know. Unless, of course, you just try to hide away from everyone.
It is easy to speak to people you do not know if you are just passing out candy to them as they come by in a big group of people. “¡Hola!” we would say, in keeping with our Panama theme.
But if we are to love one another, then we have to talk to one another, and that includes all those people that we do not know. Sometimes, you have to force yourself to do it. Well, maybe not you, but I have to force myself sometimes. But then when I do, I am often rewarded by some meaningful conversation with someone I had not talked to before, and it is a blessing to me as much as it is to them.
Don’t be afraid of speaking to someone new!
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7
About the Photos
As usual, these were a mix of camera and phone photos. I took the first photo with my camera, and it is my favorite of the three. The other two were taken with iPhones, and they turned out well, too. It is always nice to have different options available. And it is nice not to have to try to explain my camera settings to others. Handing them my phone is much easier.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: October 19, 2024
Location: Bartlett Woods Church of Christ, Bartlett, Tennessee
