31 Oct Come As You Aren’t
Halloween! What a great holiday. Be someone else and eat candy.
Being someone else seems to have great appeal, and we all know about the candy. Our Halloween transformation choices are interesting. Who- or what- do you become on this magical day? And- in what ways do you become this other creature? When the mask comes off tonight, how much of that other creature will stay with you?
Consider The Halloween Question: “What are you going to be?” which carries a sly suggestion that there is more going on than putting on a costume. While wearing that costume, don’t you take on the characteristics and behaviors of who or whatever naturally inhabits such an outfit? One of the more obvious of the borrowed behaviors is the communication style of the borrowed persona. The scary ones get to growl and roar, impose themselves on others, steal their candy, act out, and generally get away with whatever they want. The pretty ones can flirt and simper, the cute ones can wink and tease, the heroic can be stately, or make pronouncements. Really, you get to ascribe to your new self whatever behavior you want. Your princess can be bossy, and your monster can be shy. And they can wear whatever they…uh…you want them to wear, too.
So what are you going to be? Are you going to be trying on a new way of presenting yourself, or highlighting your current act? Maybe there is a way of communicating that you’d like to try (what does it feel like to be assertive?), or a stronger or softer approach than you normally use. Maybe you aren’t even thinking about these things. Maybe it just looks like fun to lumber around in the bear suit. But tonight, as you stuff yourself into the plastic fur, maybe ask yourself, “What am I going to be?”
Then have some candy.