How I Learned to Become Another Person (Part 2)

Ok, here’s the second part that I promised I would talk about. Halloween at age 10.

I don’t know exactly when it started. I remember at age 10 I dressed up as a girl for Halloween and had been doing so for at least a couple of years. I continued to do it for another 2 years. It was an easy costume. My mother had lots of costume jewelry and these gypsy-like folk dance skirts and blouses that were very colorful and pretty. And she seemed to enjoy helping me dress up as a little girl. One could, perhaps, even say she enjoyed dressing me up as a little girl! And I enjoyed it too! 🙂

In those days, nobody had store-bought costumes. All the kids (or their parents) made their own but I didn’t have to cut holes in a stupid sheet and be a stupid ghost like the other kids! I had a real costume! lol!

Those were the days of crowded row houses and neighbors who knew each other. It was also a time when parents didn’t supervise their children as closely as they do now. I remember standing in front of my sister protecting her from a gang of at least 15 children! When it came to protecting my little sisters, my courage, and my strength knew no bounds and it’s amazing how almost nobody will challenge someone who has the courage to stand against a gang. I still feel that way about children and faced a similar event with my bff’s 13-year-old son about 3 years ago (I’ll tell you about that some time).

At any rate, I digress! 🙂 Back to Halloween at age 10. There was one Halloween that was particularly memorable. To be honest, I’m not certain it was at age 10. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t younger, but it could have been 11 or even 12. I doubt it was 12 though. All I remember is that, as usual, I had dressed up as a girl, complete with costume jewelry and makeup. I was out trick-or-treating, trying to fill an entire grocery bag full of candy as usual, when I came to a house where a very nice, kindly woman asked me, “So, what are you? A gypsy?”

And suddenly it dawned on me…….

She had NO idea I was a boy.

I said yes. I always say yes when people catch me off guard with their questions. 🙂

The interesting thing is that at the time, it didn’t bother me a bit. It surprised me, but it didn’t bother me. When I was 14, it was an entirely different story! I’ll tell you about that one next!