By Patti Phillips
I’m not exactly sure how or why
the fascination started, but when my son Justin was
just a little guy he used to love to dress up in
costumes. I’m not talking just for Halloween, I’m
talking about every day.
I think it started with some
Superman pajamas he received as a gift. Not only did
they have that snazzy S on the chest, but they had a
cape which velcroed on and off. He loved those
pajamas. He wanted to live in those pajamas. So, we
bought a few extra pairs. I’ll be the first to
admit—the bedtime routine is easier any time you are
able to cut out a few of the steps. If the kids are
already IN their pajamas, there’s one less nighty
night step to take!
Soon after that, the costume
fetish grew and sort of took over our lives. Another
in the “top ten” of costumes was the cowboy
ensemble. We had a few variations on this theme,
different cowboy hats, vests, chaps and shirts, but
all outfits included the holster with two cap guns.
(I know what some of you anti-violence types are
thinking about now. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be
politically incorrect, but I grew up with the Lone
Ranger and Tonto, John Wayne, et al, and I have yet
to commit any crime involving weapons.) A cowboy has
to look good!
Another favorite was the 100%
polyester Charger uniform, shoulder pads and all.
Very cute when you live in the San Diego area.
There’s nothing quite so comical as a kid that’s two
feet tall and two feet wide due to shoulder pads
with a head the size of a small planet due to his
football helmet. Wearing this while at the cleaners
and grocery store added to the comic element, I’m
sure.
One year Justin had his heart set
on a “real” policeman’s uniform. This was not easy
to come by. Finally with a lot of help from mom,
Santa was able to track down a blue policeman
uniform. It was made even more realistic with
badges, patches and emblems from a uniform supply
house. (I’m embarrassed to say that all the add ons
cost more than the whole costume did to start with!)
Other ensembles included G.I. Joe,
Dick Tracy and the Karate Kid.
My two favorite finds came from
Tijuana, right over the border. One day when we had
out-of-town company we went to Mexico for the day.
There—right in the window of a children’s store were
the perfect costumes. Batman and Superman. These
weren’t just any Batman and Superman costumes
however. Batman’s cape was made in one piece with
his face mask, just like the real caped crusader.
The detailing on the Superman costume was fantastic.
These had been hand-sewn out of a lycra polyester. I
couldn’t pass them up.
We could hardly peel Justin out of
those two costumes for a year or more. Through the
hottest days with Santa Ana winds he was decked out
head to toe in hot, sticky polyester. But, when you
are able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, I
guess you can overlook a bit of discomfort.
What I loved about the whole thing
was the way he just marched around, day after day in
these crazy get-ups, oblivious to the fact that
other kids weren’t wearing costumes. Oblivious to
the fact that it was sunny and 90 degrees and
polyester doesn’t breathe. Oblivious to the fact
that people would stop and point and chuckle over
how cute he was.
My favorite part of the whole
thing was watching some adults’ reactions to a
simple little kid just having fun. People would
often look at him and say, “Hey kid, don’t you know
it’s not Halloween?”
Let me just say that often, this
comment came from some man in ill-fitting Bermuda
shorts, riding under a large overhanging paunch
belly. Across the oh-so-ample stomach was usually a
T-shirt no less than five sizes too small, replete
with a few stains and holes to show that it was a
definite favorite. Of course, these shirts would
often sport a truly philosophical phrase across the
chest. Something like “Real men let friends drink
beer” or some such life-changing statement. Needless
to say, the whole ensemble was usually accessorized
with a polyester baseball cap, bill tilted up in a
rakish manner. The footwear of choice would usually
be sandals and brown socks, topped of by a pair of
hairy, neon white legs. Somehow, this look is never
quite complete without a three day growth of beard.
Amazing that this type of fugitive from the fashion
police would have the nerve to comment on someone
else’s choice of clothing!
I found it amusing that people
could find an innocent child so threatening, just
because he wasn’t fitting “the norm” of wearing his
costumes on one particular day of the year.
The way I figured it, Justine
would outgrow his costume fetish before he went off
to kindergarten. Thank goodness, for once I figured
right.
When we think about it, whether we
want to admit it or not, most of us are wearing some
sort of mask or costume to keep the rest of the
world from knowing who we really are. We don’t just
wear our masks one day of the year either. And just
like Justin, we feel more comfortable in some of our
costumes than others.
Often, we are scared to bare our
souls, remove the masks and let people know who we
really are. Just like Justin, however, we need to
remove our masks so that we can mature and move on
to the next stage. After all, God purposely made
each of us different so that we could fulfill a
specific role here on earth. If we are wearing
Superwoman’s costume, and we weren’t given the job
of superwoman, we aren’t doing the job God gave us.
When we realize that the plans
that God made for us far surpass any we could ever
make for ourselves it becomes easier to shed that
mask and show the world how fearfully and
wonderfully we were made, by the Master Himself!
“I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not
hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the
earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days
ordained for me were written in your book before one
of them came to be. Psalm 139:14-16 NIV
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the
plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ”plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a
hope and a future.” NIV
About the Author: Patti Phillips
is a freelance writer,columnist,professional speaker
and business owner. Her columns appear in Southern
California in the Rancho Santa Fe Review and online
at More Than A Mom. She has been married to John for
nearly 20 years and is the mom of Alyse 10 and
Justin, 15. All three prove to be aconstant source
of humor in her life. www.momsfamilypreserves.com |
