Isms: Views on life in rural America

“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.”

I read this quote, by author Mason Cooley, recently and it made me think about Halloween traditions and costumes from my childhood and ones my kids wore.

Mom loved Halloween. She’d decorate our house with pumpkins and black cats and ghosts. Then, on Oct. 31, she’d create a tablescape by the front door, with a kitschy orange plastic pumpkin overflowing with candy, black taper candles and a notebook with parchment paper, so trick-or-treaters could sign in. Years later, she added a black cauldron with a spooky light illuminating inside.

Mom dressed in a witch costume, greeting each visitor as they tapped on the glass of our front door, urging them to perform some sort of talent before she’d fork over the goods.

It was quite the sight.

I’m not sure what costume I wore first ... guessing a black cat, with painted-on whiskers. Once I started school, I had a different costume each year. I remember a wildcat outfit (our school mascot), Bat Girl costume and a cowgirl get-up. Our elementary school held a Halloween parade, where we’d traipse one by one around the gym in our holiday finest, before retreating to our classrooms for fun and games, like bobbing for apples or Halloween bingo.

In sixth grade, I entered a contest sponsored by the Kearney ABC station and won a Raggedy Ann costume, complete with creepy plastic mask with the single elastic string to hold it on your face. The bad news: I received the costume meant for the three- to six-year-old age group winner. Mom kept that costume folded neatly in the box in which it arrived. We found it while packing for the ‘rents move from Clay Center to Tilden in 2006.

When it comes to costumes my kids wore, a few come to mind. One year, I created a group of kittens. I morphed into drama coach momma mode, decorated their faces, teased the hair a bit and added ears via a headband. The outfits were simple: black sweats, socks and tennis shoes and hand-crafted tails.

One of my all-time favorites was the year I made California Raisins costumes. Super simple - black leggings and a long-sleeve black shirt. Tennis shoes. White gloves. A garbage bag, stuffed with newspaper, for the body. Sunglasses. Perfection.

I know they dressed up as cheerleaders one year. I think they were ghosts once. And, in 1992, when the Halloween blizzard swept across Nebraska, they trounced around town with the neighbor kids sans costumes. The winter coats, hats and gloves were enough.

Courtney says she doesn’t remember any costume except the raisins. They were definitely a hit.

What story did these costumes tell? You don’t need a cheaply produced, but expensive, outfit from some superstore to have Halloween fun. All you need is a little creativity. Money was tight then. It was a 45-mile drive, one way, to the nearest shopping center. Instead of spending loads of money on something that would have been worn for a few hours, I scoured the house to devise creative costumes, used my theater background to accentuate with makeup and bling and made dang sure my kids had fun.

That’s the thing about dressing up in costume, there’s not right or wrong. It’s open to interpretation.

Our office will be open on Halloween, serving treats to all the ghosts, goblins and California Raisins who drop by.