Autumn is here, and we've been hanging masks around the shop in preparation for the fall season of costume balls, masquerades, trick-or-treating, and other occasions where one might want to try out being someone else.
It has me thinking about what it means to don a mask. Each day when we get dressed, we put on an arrangement of clothing and accessories that presents a persona to the world. Our everyday dress might be fancy, understated, or outlandish, according to the standards of the people around us.
Dressing for special occasions, though, lets us step outside of the range of expression we usually set for ourselves. Many of my friends love to go to costume parties and other "dress up" events. Others strictly will not go, or won't change anything about their appearance if they do attend.
Sometimes a mask can hide one's identity, covering up who that person really is. At other times it can reveal the person's true face. Halloween and the holiday season that follows are times when the rules are jumbled. Maybe it's time you experimented outside your normal range -- whatever it is -- and find out what it feels like to try on a brand new face, even just for an evening.
2 comments:
I would love to dress up for a costume party, but hubby is one of those who would never be caught dead dressing up like a "little kid".
I think I may be one of those who would become the "real" me, if I were able to wear a mask or change my identity.
Expectations of who I am and what I should look like, constantly war with who and what I really want to be...
Lotus - I think this is true to some extent for all of us. Nonetheless, it is important to have some place where the true self can live - through are or just plain goofing around. I have an "imp" mask in the office that put on for a few hours a year and terrorize my employees with. It seems to take the edge off of maintaining my decorum the rest of the time. I'll try to post a picture!
Best,
Karima
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