DAY 19 — SCARECROWS
Scarecrows bother us because they’re almost people.
Not convincingly. That’s worse.
A hat, old shirt, stuffed arms and something roughly head-shaped standing alone in a field shouldn’t be frightening. In daylight it’s folk art with a job. At dusk, when you could swear its position changed since you drove past that morning? Different department entirely.
For centuries farmers have built human-like figures to discourage birds, and storytellers have spent nearly as long wondering what happens if the thing starts thinking for itself. That’s an irresistible setup for Halloween.
Maybe the scarecrow works because it represents an empty human shape. We see a body and automatically expect a person inside it. When there isn’t one, imagination volunteers for the position.
So here’s to the scarecrow: farm employee, autumn decoration and one of the few fellows who can stand perfectly still all day and somehow make that look suspicious.
NEXT TRANSMISSION — DAY 20: CORN MAZES