Halloween Democracy

Halloween transformed New York City for one raucous night. But this year, I couldn't stop myself from wondering if the night foreshadowed what the world will look like in a few days if McCain and Palin win the election. Long lines of people stocking up on groceries, Sarah Palin impersonators wildly trolling the streets, policemen everywhere trying to quell all the hooligans shouting "Riot, riot, start a fire!" Not to mention all the zombies...

Oh well.

Usually, I love Halloween for the simple reason that it is the one day of the year when everyone is on equal footing: anyone can be cool as James Dean or dull as Joe Biden, just by wearing a mask. It's a night where being a freak is actually enviable. I love Halloween because all it takes to be the coolest person in the room is a good idea for a costume. Unfortunately, this year, I had none.

As the countdown to the night's festivities began, my friends latched onto their last ideas for costumes: one cut out a white shirt and a yellow shirt and called himself an egg (he spent the night asking girls to figure out what he was), another wore his army jacket and called himself a vet (you have to look inside to see the wounds, he said). It reminded me of a previous year where a friend had dressed in blue with a tag on him saying "Yonder," and when people asked him what he was, he'd go crazy and say, "I'm the wild blue yonder."

It's a reminder that you always have the power to define yourself. For the first time I decided to embrace Halloween in my own skin. Now, here are the reasons why you should never be yourself in New York City: 1) If you're not wearing a costume, many clubs will either turn you down or charge you money to enter. 2) When people ask what you are, and you say "I'm just me!" They probably won't stick around long. 3) You'll be even easier to identify in embarassing Facebook photos. 4) Because it's Halloween, idiot.

- Seth