The Halloween Conundrum

Halloween was always my favorite holiday. I loved coming up with new costumes and running about town begging for candy. I even enjoyed marching along in the town’s parade. As I got older and town rules said I was too old to Trick-Or-Treat I enjoyed donning dark clothes to run about town egging houses and partaking in general mischief. Then it is off to college, a return to actual costumes, only something strange has occurred. Now you can only buy costumes that have the terms “sexy” or ‘naughty” in front of the costume name, i.e. ‘naughty nurse’, ‘sexy cop’ , ‘naughty school girl’, ‘sexy sorceress’. What happened to being interesting or clever? What do these costume choices tell us about society? Nothing good. So I will go back to longing for the days when you could be a peacock or a California Raisin, rather than a Naughty Clown or Sexy Firefighter.

the strange intimacy of public transport

If you ever take the bus, train or metro than you may have noticed the enforced intimacy of these places. In few other places are you so squished together with strangers. Yesterday was such a day for me. When I boarded the bus it was not very crowded, I moved as far back as I could as I usually do. I was sitting on the seats that face sideways. As I gazed out at the Fall colors a guy sat down a seat over from me. No worries, plenty of room. I dig through my bag until I find my book and soon I am lost in the essays of the lovelorn male. But around me the bus is filling up. A mid-20s guy of medium to large build decides to take the open spot between me and the other dude. Goodbye personal space- instead this is where I suddenly get pinned to the seat. Now not only am I pinned but I can barely breath, this man's body is glued to mine from shoulder to foot. I can feel every breath he makes. As his body moves with his breath so does mine. I am struck by how incredibly intimate this seems, this strange man plastered against me. I figure he has to be able to feel my heart beat. And so I sit, pinned in place like a bug in a display wondering when my new twin and I will be separated. I'm not sure how long we were melded together this way but after a few minutes my lungs became used to the shallow sips of air they were allowed. Not long after that my new friend shifted suddenly and then got up. Released from their prison my lungs expanded and I let out a quite gasp and before I knew it he was gone and I realized that I was getting cold now without the warmth of his body against mine.