I’m not a super outgoing person. Unless I’m with people I’m really comfortable around, it’s hard for me to open up and make a lot of jokes and take risks with what I say; sometimes I worry that I’m a funny person, but that my humor only comes across to really close friends. That’s why Halloween is a special time of year for me. Ironically, it’s the one time where I can show what I’m really like. By being someone else, I can be myself. (Hashtag deep.)
I’ve always aimed for costumes that are, if not hilarious, at least noticeable. I still remember my sixth grade math teacher laughing hysterically at my old lady costume, and a lady in the neighborhood mistaking me for a girl after dressing as a nun one year. Last year, I was Jack Skellington, which involved enlisting my roommate Marnie to cover my face in makeup.
But my crowning achievement was, and probably always will be, my sophomore year of college, when I dressed up as a wacky wavy inflatable arm-flailing tube man, one of those big obnoxious things they put outside of car dealerships to attract customers. I meant to create the costume myself with only some suggestions from my crafty mom, but she ended up doing most of the work, and it got stressful for her, and I felt terrible. But I like to think the payoff was worth it, as I attracted a lot of attention.
That’s why Halloween is so nice for me. I have an excuse to make a spectacle out of myself, which I’m usually too nervous to do. On the weekend of Halloween, I can go to a party, talk to strangers about our costumes, and move on without any real fear of what they think of me. That weekend sophomore year, I took so many pictures with random strangers, and some of them have to have ended up on Facebook. I dream of finding them one day.
This year, I thought about what I could be for a whole month leading up to Halloween. Last year, there was no chance my costume would live up to the standard set the previous year, so I’d picked Jack Skellington, going for impressive in a different way: through makeup. Generally, Halloween in college isn’t treated very seriously; people mostly put on a half-assed costume and go drink somewhere. There’s certainly a charm to that, but I’ve always found it fun to go all out in college. It defies expectations.
But this year, I couldn’t really think of anything impressive. I think I’m just going to end up going as Steve from Blue’s Clues, since my friend has a handy green striped shirt, and I have the same general characteristics as Steve (white, skinny, short brown hair). No makeup, no hastily assembled materials. Hey, at least it’ll be cheap, but I’m still a little sad I’m not going all out with something spectacular for my last Halloween in college.
Oh well. I still have my 20s.
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