Before my hometown became Sleepy Hollow, it was known as North Tarrytown. Back then, in my senior year of high school, Sleepy Hollow High School played in a championship football game against our arch-rival, Ossining High School. Both teams were undefeated. I kid you not; there were 10,000 people at that game on our home field. As a cheerleader at our final football game, I couldn’t imagine anything more thrilling. Until we won! I’m sure those guys on the team are still talking about it.
Fast forward many decades, and a good friend confessed to me that although he lived in Connecticut, he and his friends came to Tarrytown to watch the game. The hype was everywhere.
In October, my family and I went to the towns to experience Halloween. There have been many changes, of course, since I lived there. North Tarrytown is now Sleepy Hollow, the two towns have merged in all things spooky and are called the Hollow, and the spirit of Washington Irving is everywhere. There is an actual Headless Horseman who appears at parades, local events, and football games, leading the team onto the field.
Finally! The presence of the Headless Horseman would have completed my high school experience. But I think I appreciate it even more now than I might have then. Because even though I have lived in three other states, Sleepy Hollow will always be home to me.
‘Til next time,
Barb
