“What do you want to be for Halloween this year?”
My five-year-old goddaughter looked up from her iPad as she heard my question, a shy, yet playful smile forming across her face that signified that a decision had long been made.
This was the third year that I would be accompanying her, her family and her favourite aunt to go around celebrating Halloween* at Albergue SCM** in what has become an annual tradition that we all look forward to. And while she was ardent about becoming a bright orange pumpkin last year, this time, there was only one thing that she wanted to be: A member of Huntr/x from the 2025 American animated musical Netflix film “K-pop Demon Hunters”, which seems to have taken the world of children and even small toddlers by storm.
I smiled as I dreaded the thought of having to again listen to songs like “Soda Pop”, “Golden” and “Takedown” while on the way to the venue. “That’s great!”, I said as her favourite aunt shot me a knowing look.
The night came and when we arrived, she was absolutely ecstatic, barely able to contain her excitement as we entered a scene of fellow demon hunters and princesses joined by a mix of ghosts, ghouls and superheroes, to name a few.
As I took her hand, I realised just how much she had grown in the year since I last joined her and her family. And while there were definitely moments where I just wanted to disappear from the crowd and take out my phone to finally catch up on some scrolling and some much-needed entertainment, the realisation of just how quickly time was moving made me change my mind. Instead, I began to think – next year and the year after, what would her Halloween be like? Would she still want to hold my hand? Would she still even want to go to this annual Halloween get together given how quickly kids seem to grow up these days. That in particular was the thought that stuck with me the most.
There are instances when we want time to move faster just so we can move on to things that we would rather be doing. This could also lead to times when we simply want to escape certain situations and moments with people, times when we would rather distract ourselves and be somewhere else in lieu of the present. It’s in moments like these that we remember that we have a portal to a different world that sits readily available in our bags and/or pockets – our smartphones. So, we take them out and enter a different place regardless of where we are and regardless of who we are with and whether the moment means anything to them. Time moves a lot quicker, but so do our moments with people, especially those we are with when we choose to look down at our screens.
You might miss the first friendly exchange between two six-year-olds as they traded sweets and complimented each other’s costumes simply because you “needed” to tend to a notification. In a park, a child might find themselves engaged in a heated battle with a smartphone for a parent’s attention. At a dinner table, moments that may allow for pleasant conversation with a lover, friend, or family member might never come up because a text or social media feed is apparently far more interesting. Or, in moments beyond escapism and the constant chase for dopamine***, perhaps it felt more important to attend to an email rather than being present at a family gathering.
Modern society often requires or normalises our minds to be in two or more places at once, making it rather difficult to be present in the moments that matter. We are slaves to every ding and ping our small portals make, whether for pleasure or work. But as time moves and the number of distractions increases, it is becoming more important to remember where we need to be and the people who matter most. Because sometimes, these moments, these people can disappear at the blink of an eye. And before we know it, we might be left wondering where the time went and what happened.
I’m not writing this to say “smartphones and technology are all bad, we should ban them!”, but as a reminder for myself and for you, dear reader, to remember to be present. Because sometimes, time and the people it holds might just pass you by.
I kept this thought in mind as I took the hand of a little demon hunter as we once again stepped into a labyrinth of superheroes, monsters and princesses made up of both the young and young at heart, hoping to do it again next year.
*Halloween is celebrated on October 31 and is a holiday with roots in ancient Celtic traditions. It marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The name “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the evening before All Saints’ Day. Activities involved include “Trick-or-Treating”, where children dress in costumes and go door-to-door asking for candy, saying “trick or treat” as a playful way to request treats. - Source: Poe
**Albergue is Portuguese for “hospice”. SCM stands for Santa Casa da Misericórdia (“Holy House of Mercy”), Macau’s oldest charitable organisation.
*** Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that acts as a messenger between nerve cells. It’s often called the “feel-good” hormone because it plays a key role in how we feel pleasure and reward. – Poe
Photo of a Jack-o-lantern courtesy of Unsplash.
A man and a child pass a shop with Halloween decorations near Albergue SCM yesterday afternoon. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
