Author:
Boyd Percy
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Date Posted: 23:47:41 10/24/15 Sat
>Another column picked up from the paper:
>
>It's getting to be the time of year for ghosties and
>ghoulies and long-legged beasties, of trick or
>treating, candy, and costumes. It's also the time for
>parties and fun, and not all of it is for kids --
>there are adult-themed Halloween parties out there,
>and the sheer joy of dressing up in outlandish
>costumes is part of the fun.
>
>As adults we don't often get the chance to dress up in
>something off the wall just for the sheer fun ot it.
>Unless you are into some special activity, there's
>only Halloween out there to take advantage of.
>
>Now, there are other activities -- various conventions
>of like-minded people who enjoy what they call
>"cosplay," dressing up like Japanese cartoon
>characters or zombies, or a lot of different things.
>Some people will travel across the country to take
>advantage of such events, and the costumes -- well,
>outlandish is a word that can be used, and daring is
>another one. If you are going to Miami or Los Angeles
>for a convention, or "con," at least the neighbors
>aren't going to notice if you dress up like a
>superheroine from a Japanese cartoon, in an outfit
>where a high percentage is pure skin.
>
>And then there are the renaissance faire people, and
>there are at least a few of them in this neck of the
>woods. Heck, I used to hang around renaissance faires
>a little, and there were some pretty off-the-wall
>outfits to be seen. Bear in mind that, at least for
>women, a renaissance fair costume will involve a
>promiently worn corset. Even though hemlines are
>usually barely high enough to keep from dragging the
>ground, some of the costumes can still be pretty
>daring.
>
>I've got to go to a renaissance faire again sometime.
>It's been several years and I miss them. But, I
>digress.
>
>I went out for breakfast on Sunday to the place I
>usually go on weekends. Things weren't real busy -- I
>guess I hit them in the seams -- and one of the
>waitresses said that she hoped the Halloween costume
>she had ordered made got here in time for the party
>she planned to go to.
>
>"That's cheating," I said. "You're supposed to make
>your own costume, or at least assemble it yourself.
>That shows creativity. When you order something
>online, all you're doing is excercising your credit
>card."
>
>"Yeah, but . . ." she temporized. "This one is pretty
>special."
>
>She didn't say how special it was, leaving me to
>believe that if she wore in in the wrong part of some
>larger cities she might be subject to arrest, and yes,
>you can read into that statement what you will. I have
>a feeling that I would like to go to that party -- or
>at least would have liked to go to it when I was
>younger and more capable of withstanding all the
>alcohol in the witch's brew that passes as punch. Oh,
>well, that's just another downside of getting older --
>I just don't have the energy to have fun like that any
>longer.
>
>For most of us, though, Halloween is still for kids,
>rather than adults. However, my dictum applies:
>building a costume involves creativity, while buying
>one just exercises your credit card.
>
>I have really enjoyed the downtown trick or treating
>we have had here in town for the last several years. I
>see some real creative costumes on kids. Granted, a
>lot of costumes are store-bought, or involve
>store-bought items, but I always appreciate the
>off-the-wall designs that show some thought. On
>Saturday morning last year we had something over eight
>hundred kids wandering around downtown, going through
>candy like a swarm of sugar-crazed locusts. In this
>day and age a lot of the magic and fun has gone out of
>our holidays, but there's still some left for
>Halloween. Don't let the squares and the naysayers
>take it away from us --- life is dull enough as it is.
>
>-- Wes
So, Wes, What's your costume going to be?
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