Thoughts from the Treadmill: Imagination

The town where I live really gets into Halloween. Early each October, folks start bringing out their house decorations and adding new. One block has gone together to create an incredible experience with projected images, lighted skulls, bursts of smoke and flashing lights synched to music. Never realized how many Halloween songs that have come our way over the years, although my favorites are still “The Monster Mash” and “Thriller.” For the latter, these folks project images of a skeleton, spook and werewolf doing Michael Jackson’s famous choreography. While no one can ever top Michael and company’s rendition, this one is pretty great.

Since we’re in Florida, many of our trees don’t “turn” like they do up north. So instead, on our main street, mounted mock pumpkins drop their fake leaves every night for the kids to come and gather. Not far from there, a two-story house gets converted into a ghost pirate ship, complete with holes created by canon blasts and a collection of skeletons.

Last night, I attended the annual costume party for the over-fifty crowd. I did my part by donning the safari hat I got a while back at Animal Kingdom and my khakis to go as Jacqueline Hannah complete with the stuffed lion I bought recently at the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota. But my costume was nothing compared to others’. The winners were two “boxes” filled with life-sized Barbie and Ken dolls. These were the “Motel Oops” version; Barbie was pregnant. Hugh “Hefley,” dressed in a red velvet smoking jacket was there with a “real” bunny, his wife in a rabbit costume. I think the one I like best was Ghandi, a woman who wore a bald wig, oversized specs and large nose AND what I finally figured out was a fitted sheet wrapped mummy stile around her. Now that was clever.

And that’s what brings me to this week’s theme: imagination. People get really creative this time of year. Sure, it may be the incentive of winning first place in a home decorating or costume contest, but isn’t that great, that for a few weeks in the tenth month, people can forget their everyday lives and worries, if for just a bit, and get carried away with make believe? When you’re accustomed to spending long hours by yourself getting lost in your own fictional world, it’s comforting to have this short period when others share your affinity for spinning magic.