# Time to Dress Up By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-10-31 Today is Halloween, and many people like to dress up in a costume to celebrate the holiday. It's interesting to think about why people want to dress up. Children dress up as a rehearsal for future jobs or to play. For adults, it's only for entertainment or some escape from reality. Whatever the reason, most humans like to dress up and pretend. As a human, putting on a mask can be a freeing experience. One can let go and be something else. But, beyond Halloween and costume parties, we regularly wear masks that obscure our identity. These masks are often not physical but behavioral and cultural. Police officers wear a mask of authority, waiters wear a mask of happy service, and office workers wear a mask of working hard and doing what they are told. What masks does one wear that is inauthentic to who one is? Not all masks are bad, and some are necessary for a functional society. But many masks have no purpose other than power or needless tradition. So, for Halloween, consider what new mask one wants to wear. This is the season to try something new and have some fun. As for me, my work Halloween custom is a guy who doesn't give a shit. Oddly, this looks a lot like what everyone else is wearing. #### Related Items [[Masks]] [[Celebration]] [[Identity]] [[Work]] [[Society]] [[Culture]] [[Choice]] [[Reflection]]