A Halloween Tradition

Ever since I can remember, during the time of Halloween, my mom would break out the scary story Cds, “Halloween party music”, and those with the random scary sounds on them. It might sound silly to may people but like I said before, we were always the house with the scary music playing while the fog machine was going off while treat-or-treaters were coming up to the door. I never thought much of it, but now I realize that all of these Halloween CDs are part of every Halloween memory I have. One CD in particular, the one with the “scary” stories narrated by one man trying to speak in different voices for all of the parts, recently had me thinking: What made stuff like this seem so scary to me years ago?

The answer is quite simple. Between the rise and falling of each voice and the occasional sounds effects, these digital stories swept me up and transported me into their creepy world. And isn’t that what makes stories so scary? If you can successfully adjust your voice to the mood and add in a few scary sound effects, you can easily scare anyone. I guess that’s way flashlights lightening up the storyteller’s face at a campfire while telling scary stories is so effective. When our minds hear certain words, tones of voice, or even certain sound effects, we are immediately pulled into the story being told. So if you happen to hear scary music, creepy voices, or frightfully intriguing stories this Halloween, pay attention to every element so you can see exactly how far you are drawn into the setting of that specific moment.



“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.”
Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale

     Words. They are all around us. We use them day and night to share thoughts, feelings, instructions and knowledge. But just how powerful can words actually be? If used correctly, words can move mountains, break down barriers, and point out injustice. They can create want, determination, fear, and sadness just by how they are used and placed in sentences. The way syllables are pronounced and strung together also create the emotion behind the word. When we hear a speech, see a movie, or listen to a song, the words that create these things are what make them a complete success or a complete failure. Words that are merely thrown together without thought or feeling behind them hardly convey the emotion in which they are capable of. Sometimes the best speeches and pieces of writing use the simplest of words; however, often times, they convey the strongest emotion. The video below is a video that meshes together many incredible and emotion filled sports speeches from movies, many in which are true stories.

     If this video does not stir some amount of emotion in you, then I don’t know what will. Personally, these speeches make me want to go on the field, play my hardest, and win. Win not only for myself, but for my team, coach, and school. This is exactly what words can do when they are backed by emotion. They ignite the emotions in us that we couldn’t do ourselves. Speeches like these are what cause people to achieve greatness.

     For me personally, the way someone speaks and writes is what makes or breaks their ability to influence others. I have listened to amazing stories told by war veterans, Holocaust survivors and their families, and many, many sports speeches in my life. All of which have influenced me in one way or another due to the various emotions in which they conveyed. If it were not for such strong emotion behind these words, I would have not been as influenced as I was at the end of each speech.