Dressed

There we were, my friend and I, venturing out to an improv show in Halloween costumes. It was to be a free show for those so dressed, and furthermore a "jam" (a free play performance of sorts) was to be open only to those so dressed. Now, I had not meant to go to to the show, but I changed my mind at the last minute. Had I resolved to go earlier, I would have ridden with my roommate in his car. As it was, I took the subway.

It's an interesting experience to ride the subway in a costume like that. Most people will pay it no attention. A lot of crazy things are to be seen there, and odd outfits barely register at all for them. You get rather jaded, as I can attest. Still, there are those who do comment on costumes, on the street as well as on the subway. Each of us, I ought to say, drew some remarks, although they were slightly different.

My friend, Hans, was dressed as Home Improvement's Wilson. It's a good costume, and he has gotten some mileage out of it. It dates back to last Halloween, but who can fault him? It's amusing and easily recognized. No one who saw him and said something failed to identify either the character's name or who he was in general. That's the kind of costume I always aspire to and which I never seem to ever have.

My costume was also recycled. It's a vague concept. I have a captain's hat, a Lacoste shirt, a contrasting sweater tied around the neck, tan slacks and brown loafers. The idea is to convey an 80's rich yachting type, but people saw it as more of a Love Boat or Gilligan's Island thing. That's not what I was going for, but I'm frankly content to go with what people see in it. A life lesson is to always leave it to others to say whether you messed up or not.