The selecting process was a difficult one. When I was four, I decided to be Aladdin for Halloween. Impressionible little girl, probably wearing a hand-me-down Teenage Mutent Ninja Turtles shirt upon making the announcement, wanted to be a boy for the dress-up holiday. My mom asked me if I was sure I didn't want to be Jasmine but I stood my ground and went with her to the Toys-R-Us to buy it. I was Aladdin, I had an Abu. In fact, I adored the costume so much that I chose to wear it to my brother's elementary Halloween performance, sat in the front with the rest of the small children, and most likely smiled bravely. I was sandwiched by boys who thought it was wrong for me, a girl, to be wearing a cape and pants. Of course it was probably mostly rooted in the fact that I had cooties. They stole my Abu and tossed it "monkey"-style over my head. I hated it, at seventeen still have a mental image impounded in my head of the brown vested monkey flying above me, yet I have no regrets.
There is most definitely a reason for the telling of this story. Not only does it perfectly describe my spunk and fearlessness but it teaches a lesson that is, I believe, held at high rank in my family: the 'you' you choose to be is a glorious one. Don't second-guess, be true. And that's what I, Aladdin, have done and will continue to do. Seriously. Ask Abu.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment