Halloween is quite possibly the best holiday of the year. You get to pretend to be someone else, dress up in something that you could never get away with, and eat whatever you want. When we were younger, we never had the pressure of making or deciding what we were going to be for Halloween. Our parents would usually do all of that for us. As we got older, we would become obsessed with an idea months prior to Halloween and we would fully commit to that character.
I have found that now that I am an adult, I have a lot of difficulty deciding and committing to a costume. Partially because there are so many possibilities, and partially because of my procrastination. Here's what the thought process typically looks like:
Do I want to be a cat? No, everyone always goes as a cat!
What about a mermaid? That could be awesome, but should I be a mermaid that wants good for civilization or do I want to lure men to sea and drown them... that is a toughie. And a lot of work. I saw that cool zombie makeup tutorial last week, but I don't think I can execute that. Uhm... What about something easy like a pineapple?
*goes to look up DIY tutorials*
*finds only sexy fruit costumes*
*has existential crisis caused by the idea that our population is sexualizing fruit and other inanimate objects*
And it starts again.
This thought process typically happens at least three or four times. But then, with only two days to spare, you find the perfect costume! You commit, and put 500 new pins onto your pinterest board, and watch 17 makeup tutorials on YouTube. In this moment, you are content. In this moment you are filled with the same excitement that you felt as a child.
Finally, the night is upon you. The night you have been waiting for all year and you are prepared for once in your life. You have the new makeup palettes, the glitter, the outfit laid out on your bed, and the music to play while you transform yourself. You have gone through your day getting all of your homework and responsibilities out of the way to make sure you have nothing holding you back from an evening of fun.
You get ready and you feel awesome in your costume, and right before you leave your house you have a moment of panic and reflection. Was this really the right costume for me? Does my mismatched outfit look too mismatched, or is it kind of trendy? Why do I care this much!?
On your way to meet your friends, you realize that it doesn't matter how many people like your costume or if people can tell what movie you're from. What matters is that you are meeting up with people you care about to make some great memories. People will be excited to spend time with you regardless of what you wear. Besides, if you're confident, you could get away with dressing as a trash bag.