By Mandy Feder —
If it was alright with the rest of the world, I would just wear fleece sweats and my moccasin slippers all the time.
Alas, this is not acceptable or appropriate attire for the locations where I spend the majority of my time.
Most of us don costumes all year that are based on occupation, situation and lifestyle.
I think this may explain why a seemingly reserved, even meek, coworker transforms once a year, for Halloween, into a French maid, villain, ninja, cowboy, Playboy Bunny or a nurse who apparently lacked the sufficient amount of material for a costume.
That”s OK, we all need to cut loose sometimes.
Maybe it”s an alter-ego deal with Oct. 31 serving as the witching date.
For 364 days of the year, I wear a costume for work, events and leisure.
I”m going to be myself for Halloween.
If I dress up, I”m going to dress down by wearing my favorite pajamas all day. Ideally I would have a Macanudo and a snifter of Grand Marnier with a twist, as accessories.
One can dream, right?
Everyday life, not Halloween, requires costumes, masks and hats and there”s nothing wrong with it. Our society relies on symbols that distinguish occupations, lifestyle choices and priorities.
We wear masks of indifference, distance, permanent smiles and sometimes even compassion.
And finally, we top off our costumes with hats that we change, sometimes two or three times daily, depending on our activities and responsibilities.
The metaphorical hats I wear include a fedora for getting the news scoop, a wool cap like the one my grandpa used to love — tilted slightly to one side to create the image of the thick-skinned, tough guy or gal; a beret that exemplifies worldliness; a dunce cap for when I make bonehead errors that I relentlessly beat myself up for, a Yankees baseball cap to express the child still present in this middle-aged woman and finally, most importantly, a maternal bonnet.
There are more, of course, but the aforementioned are the staples of the wardrobe.
As an adult, Halloween is more about living a dream and the possibility of transformation.
As a child, for me anyway, it was about candy — lots of candy. Every other day of the year our house was a candy-free zone.
My bother Steve and I only needed a white sheet set for costumes and the pillow cases for loot bags.
We wore our Converse for speed, because we had a lot of territory to cover in a few short hours.
Relish the pleasures of shedding your business suit, uniform or whatever your required attire. Remove your mask and your hat and have a Happy Halloween! Trick-or-treaters are welcome and encouraged to drop by the Record-Bee office in Lakeport for treats on Halloween until 5 p.m.
“We all have a face that we hide away forever … Some are satin some are steel. Some are silk and some are leather. They”re the faces of the stranger, but we love to try them on.” — Billy Joel
Mandy Feder is the Record-Bee managing editor. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32.