Halloweens Past

When I was a kid I wore a different costume every year for Halloween. As I got older they sort of reflected me as a person at that specific time. I remember some of the ones that were costumes that were cool to me, but didn't tell the world who I was. In 3rd grade I was a werewolf just like my brother. Mainly because we got some cool werewolf masks and my mom made us furry gloves to wear.

In 4th grade is where me as an individual started to show thru my choices. In 4th grade I was the Incredible Hulk (pictured above). A short, skinny (maybe 75 pound) Hulk. Because I was short and skinny I was picked on by bullies in school. A lot. So I was an angry kid with no power to fight back. Hence the Hulk. I had green sweats, my mom made purple pants, I had green make up on my face and hands, and my hair was blackened with shoe polish. That was a bitch to get out. I remember lots of shampooing.

In 5th grade I was Mr. Spock from Star Trek. I was hanging out with a kid up the street named Scott. He was a year or two older than me and super bright (He became a computer guru who got his first computer in 1980. Ended up working at IBM). He was Captain Kirk and I was Spock. I was still short and skinny, but I was very bright and to combat being bullied became logical.

In 6th grade, I don't remember what I was, but I went trick or treating with a friend who was one of the popular jocks in 6th grade, Matt. I think I was a basketball player. I was on a team, but because I was short and skinny, I sucked at basketball. But I tried.

7th grade. Don't remember. But I went with Ryan and Dave from my homeroom class. We were the 3 Musketeers. That's what Mrs. Hartman, our teacher, called us because we always hung out together.

8th grade. No idea. Went trick or treating with Ryan and Dave and Todd. The 4 Musketeers.

The costume didn't matter as much as the friends I was with. They gave me a sense of belonging to a group.

In high school me and about 8 of the people who I played D&D with went dressed as our D&D characters. So we were packing a lot of weapons. A lot of weapons. We were walking in Bill's neighborhood when a police car stopped us. We looked like a gang from medieval times walking the streets of Scottsdale. The cop pulled his gun and told us to disarm ourselves. It took about 2 minutes because we had so many weapons on us as part of the costumes. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but there was a gun pointed in our general direction. He asked us what we were doing. Halloween, walking to a nearby party in costume. He said, "OK" and let us go on our way. Times were simpler then...

So all these costumes were snippets of my psyche. And the costumes I choose to do at conventions are also a window onto my mind and how I perceive myself. I slip down the middle; Heroes and Villains. (Villains have the better dialogue and don't run as much.)

So who were you at Halloween and how did it show the world who you were? Are?