Prompt:
Write about something humans do that would seem completely bizarre if you explained it to an intelligent alien — but to us, it feels totally normal and even comforting.
Reflection:
If you tried explaining Halloween to an intelligent alien, they’d think humans were malfunctioning.
Once a year, little humans dress up like ghosts, skeletons, superheroes, and fruit. Then they march through neighborhoods knocking on strangers’ doors—demanding candy. And the strangers happily hand it over.
Growing up as an immigrant kid, my parents taught me one rule above all others: Avoid strangers and their homes. We didn’t step on their lawns, let alone approach their doors expecting treats.
But here, it’s completely normal. Kids go trick-or-treating. Adults dress up like vampires, cartoon characters, and celebrities. Everyone joins in this cheerful, organized weirdness.
It’s one of those human traditions that makes no logical sense, yet somehow makes perfect emotional sense.
I’m willing to bet there isn’t a single alien civilization anywhere in the universe doing anything like it.
And that’s part of what makes it beautiful.
I write daily on my blog and publish one polished essay every Sunday on Substack. You can read or subscribe at deepak108.com.
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