Too Much Coffee: This Is Halloween

Halloween is quickly approaching. T-minus 4 days as of writing this..

I love Halloween. Always have. There’s something that has always appealed to me about exploring the dark side of life... and death. (Wow, I sound twisted...) Contrary to what some people may insist, to me, Halloween is not about glorifying death and destruction, but about embracing our darkest fears as natural and fortifying ourselves against then We decorate our houses and/or costume ourselves in what is inherently "scary". We present the unknown, the supernatural, and the inhumane out in the open, front and center. We immerse ourselves in our darkest, most humane fears, and, by doing so, learn to laugh in the face of them. This safe and controlled environment allows us to deconstruct and dismantle what makes us uncomfortable. For some, it may be spiders. For others, it may be witchcraft... blood and gore... death...

Halloween is cathartic, and I would also argue that it is intriguing and self-illuminating. Halloween lends light to the darkest corners of the human psyche. It explores age-old questions such as what makes people tick? Any why are scary things so scary? 

Dressing in Halloween costumes is all about finding flexibility in our identities. Displacement is liberating. I’ve always found wearing a mask such a release. The “true me” is concealed, and I can live beyond myself... without the social constraints of what is expected. I don’t have to do Paul anymore, I can be someone...anyone...something. In a sense, I take on another, fresh existence, if only temporarily. I can live without the censorship of thought - I can thrive.

With all this said, there's definitely a light-hearted side to Halloween. Most of us gravitate towards costumes that are playful imitations of our favorite celebrities, TV show characters, and attend parties full of fun, games, and plenty of candy. But for me, Halloween is and always will be about the darkness - escaping who I am, flirting with my fears, and empowering myself to be less afraid.

#TOOMUCHCOFFEE The results of too much early morning coffee and fingers typing furiously on an iPhone, this is the third part of this series.  

Too Much Coffee Part 1 
Too Much Coffee Part 2