Pirates and Princesses

One of my Blogger friends recently posted about her little ones napping in full Spiderman - Superhero regalia. And hers are not the only kiddos who spend large blocks of time in pretend land. Two of my granddaughters have a costume closet that would be the envy of any Broadway Theater Production company. More often than not they are nighttime attired in princess dresses that are made out of that flimsy chiffony diaphanous material that looks like it would ignite from merely a withering gaze. Usually the bottoms have been ripped and trail behind them like bride's train. Occasionally, they have other articles of clothing under them, sometimes they are bare as the day they were born.
I wonder what the world would be like if we all went about in costume more often. As grownups, we frequently wear subtle masks that we present to the world. But, just for a moment consider what would happen if you could just play dress up when you pleased.
Thoughts like these take me back many many years when my friend Judy and I would dress up in costume and drive up and down the high way between Fort Smith and Greenwood. It was before the days of the "super" highway so one had more opportunity to interact with fellow drivers. Judy had this God awful mask that was like 1/2 a face. You put it on and the bottom half of your face was left out while this butt ugly woman's face was on top. The face was so realistic that people actually did double takes when they saw it.
The fun we had was immeasurable and I think we probably caused a few smiles along the way. I defy anyone to not have a chuckle over a grown up person walking around in a costume like it was their everyday clothing.
I think sometimes that we have become much too serious as a society, we have lost our inner children. Some of us have lost the ability to be silly. To make up silly songs, make funny faces and yes, even play dress up. Most of my grandchildren like their Pawpaw best when they are very small. But once they become a little older they gravitate more to me for their entertainment. They love the songs I make up, enjoy the poems and stories I write for them and absolutely love the dress up tub in the bedroom closet. Full of things I can no longer wear and wonder what possessed me to own them in the first place, it is the 1st stop for a stay at our house. I am a person who does not look good in hats and yet I continue to buy them and then consign them to the costume closet. I guess the reason I have these "costumes" is because my grandmother always had things for me to play dress up in. Looking back I realize that I played dress up in what is today "vintage" clothing. Ankle strap shoes, beaded bags, picture frame hats and strings and strings of beads. Summers at my grandmothers could have been boring since my grandparents didn't believe in entertaining children. They were too busy scratching out a living in the Oklahoma red clay. There was television but I was only allowed to watch "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the afternoon while enjoying my RC Cola. I think this was what my grandmother used instead of making me take a nap. However, my grandparents provided me with things to make my imagination burst into bloom. I was raised an only child until I was in the 7th grade. Therefore, I was many people. I had to play all the parts in childhood's magic kingdom. I talked a lot to myself and still do today. So if you see me driving in my car and having quite a chat please know that I am either verbally abusing someone who has pissed me off or I'm working on a problem out loud.
We live in a time of harshness, hatred, uncertainty, violence and often a sense of impending doom. Perhaps we could lift the clouds a little by finding our own little kid that we've tucked away under our adult clothing. I realize that actually wearing costumes is a bit extreme. I use it as a metaphor. Let us look for the funny in serious situations, find a silly song and sing it over and over again at the top of our lungs, laugh when we would really like to cry and put on our suits of happiness and pretend. Who knows by pretending we may change our own perspective as well as the outlook of others. So....I'll be a pirate and you can be a princess and together we will go forth to slay the dragon.