An Apple

Today I started making London’s Halloween costume. I’m super-excited. To best understand my excitement you might benefit from some backstory.

Growing up, Halloween wasn’t really a big thing. We didn’t have a lot of money and so we didn’t have cool store-bought costumes. One year I remember Bobby and I dressing up like Batman. We wore trash bag capes and yellow paper belts and masks and black sweatpants. We thought we looked really cool.

Another year, my dad made me an owl costume completely out of paper.That actually was cool.

Most of the time, though, we just scrounged around the house—combining Mammaw’s scarves and ties from Dad’s closet. I remember being a boy one year and just wearing Bobby’s clothes. Another year I threw a scarf around my head, borrowed my mom’s earrings and wore makeup—I was a gypsy.

For me, Halloween meant being creative and using what you had.

Now that I have kids, I think those principles are worth holding on to. I’ve added another to the list, though. What I’ve come to love about Halloween as an adult is the opportunity it offers for people to escape from reality. On just one day a year, I can be whoever I want. Anybody. Anything. Nothing is off-limits.

Because I think this is so important, I started asking London what she wanted to be for Halloween months ago. I knew when I asked it that London had no idea what I was talking about, but at the same time I knew that whatever she said would be something she loved. I determined that whatever she liked most she could be. I gave a list of suggestions in line with her current obsessions: a bee, Ming Ming from the Wonder Pets, a dog, or a duck. Her choice? An apple.

So, today I went about transforming London into a giant apple. Wish me luck!