Halloween is Just One of Many Nights to 'Share' Your Imagination
Tonight, on Halloween, my daughter Cosette will go door-to-door seeking candy dressed as Hermione Granger, the notorious female lead in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In the books, Hermione distinguishes herself as an intelligent and confident leader. She is loyal to her friends, brave, and handles problems calmly, seeking logical solutions. I am so glad Cosette chose a character with these traits to “be” when she goes trick-or-treating, because being Hermione is not just about putting on an outfit. My daughter’s imagination will truly allow her to be Hermione today. She’s even practicing speaking in a British accent all day so she can best play the part! And if my daughter can imagine herself being a person she admires, then so can I.
As adults, some of us may physically put on a mask tonight; but the truth is, we’re putting on masks everyday. Social media allows us to try on masks on a regular basis...and that’s a good thing!
If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I have written previously about the positive messages that have been delivered by a seemingly juvenile documentary series, American Vandal. Having just finished season two of this true-crime satire, I once again have found myself reflecting on the depth of the message the show delivers if you can get past the raunchiness of its surface-level humor. Without giving anything away, I can say that season two finishes with a monologue by one of the show’s “producers,” Peter Maldonado. He points out that social media can be a way to “try on different identities” and believes it is a place where we can “grow, discover, reinvent.”
And while he also stresses the importance of having people in our lives who know us without our masks and the importance of being happy with who we are beneath our masks, his message about having the opportunity to wear the masks is powerful. Just as my daughter has a chance to put on a costume tonight to be another young lady - one she wouldn’t mind being - social media gives us that same chance to be the people we want to be on a regular basis.
Admittedly, much of my life is probably not that “adventurous,” but I certainly try to represent the adventure in my life on Facebook. But if that’s a quality I admire, I should let my imagination believe I’m the next Lewis or Clark. And when I post to Facebook, there’s something very positive about letting the world know that adventure is something that is important to me.
One of the people who knows me without any mask is my sister, Melissa. She recently shared a video with me that was meant to inspire and motivate me...and it has on many levels. Several speakers are featured on this video, including evangelist Joel Osteen. In the video, Osteen says “you are planting seeds when you talk,” so you have to “make sure you’re planting the right kind of seeds.” He then emphasizes that we have to speak out loud the reality we hope to have in our lives. He says, "It's not enough to just think about it, something happens when we speak. You have to prophesy your future."
What better way to speak out loud and to prophesy our future than to let the world know what we’re trying to become? And Facebook can help us with that.
If I want to be adventurous, then I’m going to push myself to to be adventurous, and then I’m going to share with the world. The encouragement I get from my friends will only push me to be even more adventurous the next time! If I want to be more empathetic, generous, or loyal, then I should push myself to be these things; posts corresponding with these values and the positive responses that ensue will only push me to be more empathetic, generous, and loyal in the future!
...if I value creativity, inspiration, or intelligence, I may write a blog post that represents the creative, inspirational, and intelligent person I am trying to become (even if I am only those things 0 to 1 percent of the time).
In that same video that my sister shared, Albert Einstein is quoted. Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited; imagination encircles the world. Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere. Make your future dream a present fact by assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled.”
Whether you help kids to dress-up to go trick-or-treating tonight, you’re handing out candy at a door, or especially if you’re going out and having some costumed fun as an adult tonight, take a step back and appreciate the personalities each of us - kids and adults alike - imagine themselves to possess. Appreciate the costumes that are funny and clever just as you appreciate costumes representing those people whom we admire. Costumes may be fun, but Halloween is also our imagination’s opportunity to shine.
Tomorrow, it won’t be Halloween anymore, but please don’t stop trying on masks. Imagine yourself being the person you’re striving to be. Post it on Facebook. I’m sure I won’t be the only one who “likes” it.
As adults, some of us may physically put on a mask tonight; but the truth is, we’re putting on masks everyday. Social media allows us to try on masks on a regular basis...and that’s a good thing!
If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I have written previously about the positive messages that have been delivered by a seemingly juvenile documentary series, American Vandal. Having just finished season two of this true-crime satire, I once again have found myself reflecting on the depth of the message the show delivers if you can get past the raunchiness of its surface-level humor. Without giving anything away, I can say that season two finishes with a monologue by one of the show’s “producers,” Peter Maldonado. He points out that social media can be a way to “try on different identities” and believes it is a place where we can “grow, discover, reinvent.”
And while he also stresses the importance of having people in our lives who know us without our masks and the importance of being happy with who we are beneath our masks, his message about having the opportunity to wear the masks is powerful. Just as my daughter has a chance to put on a costume tonight to be another young lady - one she wouldn’t mind being - social media gives us that same chance to be the people we want to be on a regular basis.
Admittedly, much of my life is probably not that “adventurous,” but I certainly try to represent the adventure in my life on Facebook. But if that’s a quality I admire, I should let my imagination believe I’m the next Lewis or Clark. And when I post to Facebook, there’s something very positive about letting the world know that adventure is something that is important to me.
One of the people who knows me without any mask is my sister, Melissa. She recently shared a video with me that was meant to inspire and motivate me...and it has on many levels. Several speakers are featured on this video, including evangelist Joel Osteen. In the video, Osteen says “you are planting seeds when you talk,” so you have to “make sure you’re planting the right kind of seeds.” He then emphasizes that we have to speak out loud the reality we hope to have in our lives. He says, "It's not enough to just think about it, something happens when we speak. You have to prophesy your future."
What better way to speak out loud and to prophesy our future than to let the world know what we’re trying to become? And Facebook can help us with that.
If I want to be adventurous, then I’m going to push myself to to be adventurous, and then I’m going to share with the world. The encouragement I get from my friends will only push me to be even more adventurous the next time! If I want to be more empathetic, generous, or loyal, then I should push myself to be these things; posts corresponding with these values and the positive responses that ensue will only push me to be more empathetic, generous, and loyal in the future!
...if I value creativity, inspiration, or intelligence, I may write a blog post that represents the creative, inspirational, and intelligent person I am trying to become (even if I am only those things 0 to 1 percent of the time).
In that same video that my sister shared, Albert Einstein is quoted. Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited; imagination encircles the world. Logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere. Make your future dream a present fact by assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled.”
Whether you help kids to dress-up to go trick-or-treating tonight, you’re handing out candy at a door, or especially if you’re going out and having some costumed fun as an adult tonight, take a step back and appreciate the personalities each of us - kids and adults alike - imagine themselves to possess. Appreciate the costumes that are funny and clever just as you appreciate costumes representing those people whom we admire. Costumes may be fun, but Halloween is also our imagination’s opportunity to shine.
Tomorrow, it won’t be Halloween anymore, but please don’t stop trying on masks. Imagine yourself being the person you’re striving to be. Post it on Facebook. I’m sure I won’t be the only one who “likes” it.
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