Because, as I write, it is Halloween, I am wearing a butcher's cleaver through my head. It's a blood splattered butcher's cleaver and it does look an awful lot like it's sticking through my skull. Hundreds and hundreds of people are coming through my library for early voting and none of them are wearing Halloween costumes. This epic two hour line, in a Pandemic, to vote in the most emotionally fraught election of our lifetimes, is serious business. No vampires. No ghosts. No pumpkins. Just me with a cleaver through my head.
Sometimes people look at me and laugh or smile, and I have a half-second of "What?" Then I remember: It's funny how I have a cleaver through my head! I find myself in more than a few jokey conversations about my "splitting headache". Once I went out to the front desk and said to a co-worker who just showed up for work "Keep an eye out. There was a lunatic in here a little while ago hurling knives at people. I was almost hit, but fortunately I ducked just in time!" That one got a pretty good laugh.
Mostly though, people just stare at me and don't say anything. It's a bit unnerving, but I accept it. I'm terribly fond of Halloween, and if I have to carry it all by myself this year so be it. I'm willing to take the hit.
This is great! What, no photo!!!!? Not even of the blogger from behind?
ReplyDeleteAlthough we get very few kids on our street, the ones we count on always bring a smile; of course, this year nothing happened, but something did: my wife and I were walking and we heard yelling...sounded friendly but scary...kept walking and saw a group of pirates in a driveway! They were doing all sorts of pirate things and saying "ah matee!" and then when kids came by they pretended they were the enemies, so they had to catapult them, which they did because they had a home-made catapult...with candy!!!!! Was terrific and sweet! You would have loved it!
That does sound delightful and I believe you're right.
DeleteI thought about including a picture but didn't have my camera with me and couldn't think of a good enough way to take a picture of it that would make me happy.
But here's a link to a picture of pretty much the prop I used: https://www.amazon.com/Rubies-Costume-Zombie-Cleaver-Through/dp/B004YV8JO0