Halloween Ruminations

A friend of mine once told me that he didn't like Halloween.

I was totally baffled. As a child, Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays. I mean, what was not to like? I got to wear whatever I wanted, carved up pumpkins and ate the seeds, and received tons of candy from complete strangers. After a full evening of trick-or-treating, I would go to the dining room and turn my jack-o-lantern-shaped plastic bucket upside-down, watching a veritable rainbow of candy spill out to form a glorious pile of tooth decay-inducing sugar on the table.

So when my friend told me he didn't like Halloween, I had to ensure I had heard him correctly before demanding to know why.

Halloween, he posited, is a crutch for people who can't find the courage to do what they secretly want to do until they are shielded by a holiday that lets anything go. On Halloween, anyone can become a ninja, a princess, a celebrity -- whatever or whomever they want. This was something he believed indicated a desire in the costumed individual to become more like their external appearance.

But, I argued, not everyone actually wants to become what their costume represents. I assured you that I didn't have a secret inner desire to become more cow-like, despite the black and white spotted clothes I wore on October 31, 1992.

He conceded it was true that not everyone uses Halloween to pretend to be what they only wished they were. Still, the temptation to use the holiday as an excuse and a shield to improve or change oneself still seemed ridiculous to him. If one wants to be stronger, he thought, one should train at the gym. If one wants to be a ballerina, one should go take some lessons. If one wants to be bolder or a better speaker or a fantastic chef, one should apply the time it would take to make a costume to achieving that goal instead.

While I still don't entirely agree -- I still think Halloween is fantastic, and it's alright to let our imaginations run rampant every now and then -- I do agree that we shouldn't have to wait for any particular moment or day to become the person we want to be, or the person God is calling us to be.

What do you wish you were? Who do you want to be? Do something about it! Remember that God is not passive; instead, He is full of purpose. As His child, your life should be purpose-filled, too.