Ghosts of Girlhoods Past and Other Thoughts on Costumes

It's been one of those strange weeks where I haven't gone home after work.  On Monday, I went to dinner with friends in Delray Beach, Tuesday was a BOLD Justice assembly, and last night was a PAC meeting at the Ft. Lauderdale campus.  As I've driven through the evenings, I've loved seeing the occasional house decorated with Halloween/autumn lights; one house was strung with lights and autumnal garlands which transformed the tiny cinderblock house into something glorious.

I've also been intrigued by all the Halloween pop-up stores--they're here for a month, and then they're gone.  It must say something about the economics of our capitalist Halloween culture that it's worth it to some business entity to do all that work for a month.  And then what?

I read an article in The Washington Post about a costume company.  Most of the year, the company sells costumes to people who will use them for sex stuff.  At Halloween, they do ten to twenty times the business selling the Sexy ______ costumes, with or without matching handcuffs, to adults who are dressing up for Halloween.

Yesterday we had a great spin class with Halloween music.  Some years, we've had a decorated spin class room, but not yesterday.  Our teacher did wear her cat ears headband--the ears have LED lights.  I found myself thinking about them all day, and that's how I found myself in one of those pop-up Halloween stores last night.

I pulled into the parking lot and reflected about the years I would have gone shopping in the smallest Publix ever.  Now that Publix has moved to the glamorous condo building across the street, and the old space has been transformed into a Halloween wonderland.  O.K., wonderland is a bit of a stretch.

The store was organized according to theme:  steampunk, medieval, Star Wars, etc.  But nothing that lit up.  I was secretly relieved.  The check out line was very long, as I might have expected the night before Halloween.

As I drove home, I thought, what's wrong with me?  I have lights of all sorts.  Why aren't I creating a costume?

In part, because I don't have time--I didn't start early enough.  In part, because I have a few disparate supplies and a vague vision.  I did pull my wedding veil out of the closet, and I'll take it to school, along with the lights.  Maybe I'll play at some point today.  We do have a costume contest after all.

It's been one of the kinds of week at school that I really enjoy.  I set up the pumpkin decorating station earlier this week, and I've enjoyed having the art supplies out and watching people drop in.  Each day, I set out a few more pumpkins.  Even the people who aren't creating seem to enjoy being around the pumpkins and the art supplies and the people creating.

Should I be thinking about the fact that I enjoy setting up creativity stations more than I enjoy the policing aspects of my job?  Lately, I've been thinking a lot--A LOT--about what I think makes a good manager and the ideas of other people about what managers should be doing.  But I may write more on that later.

Now it is time to think about the day.  I've added some dolls to the wedding veil and the battery powered lights.  Perhaps I shall create a Ghost of Girlhoods Past costume.  Or maybe I'll write a poem on that theme.  Or maybe both!