I Married a Cereal Killer

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As we approach Halloween I think of the fun costumes we’ve worn in the past. My all-time favorite was Len being a cereal killer.

A close second was the year that Len painted himself black, I painted myself blue, we linked arms and went together as a bruise.

Masks are ideal costume accessories for Halloween, but many of us wear them throughout the year—pretending to be something other than who we are. If we don a mask to accommodate someone else’s idea of who we ought to be, it’s time to stop the masquerade; to remove it.

Don’t be held hostage by the opinion of others.

What was the last mask you wore?

P.S. Be sure to finish your to-boo list early so you can let your hair down, raise your hackles, and have a howling good time on Halloween. Bwahaha…

© TuesdaysWithLaurie.com

 

81 thoughts on “I Married a Cereal Killer”

  3. I think you are writing this as Paden Plume–so clever! Of course, the title drew me in: “I married a cereal killer!” and then you comment: “Len painted himself black, I painted myself blue, we linked arms and went together as a bruise.” Too funny! When was the last time I wore a mask? You’ll see on tomorrow’s Hallowe’en blog.

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  4. Brilliant – I love your costume ideas and the black and blue one is SO sweet in a very off-kilter way! I find I do wear a mask on occasion, or bite my tongue and self-censor more than I’d like. Unfortunately, it’s a necessity because of where I currently live. Sometimes a mask is necessary for survival, even though I’d like the world a lot better if that weren’t so. 🙂

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      • Phew, that makes me feel a bit better. I think part of my issue comes from the fact I’ve already used up my quota of little white lies in life. I know biting one’s tongue isn’t quite the same, but being evasive or silent seems to go against what feels right to me at the moment.

  6. I love your comment about wearing masks. Maybe instead of a holiday celebrating the wearing of masks, we ought to have celebrating their removal.
    Thanks for the great food for thought.

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  7. LOVE the photo! And the bruise is a fantastic idea, too! And isn’t it interesting to note how different people are when they’re wearing those Halloween costumes? Although we often hide behind masks in our daily lives, literally putting one on seems to allow us to reveal a bit more of ourselves than we might normally.

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  9. Oh how funny! Love it! You now have me thinking rather seriously about masks. I do resonate with what you mean about wearing masks for approval. Have worn many of those over the years and have learned, slowly, and am still learning, how to take them off and stand strong in my own beliefs. From another perspective, though, I am wondering if we all wear masks as we choose to incarnate. We are endless Infinity and yet we choose to wear a mask of personality for our earth years. We know who we really are–Infinite–yet how we love to pretend to be separate, to experience life from separate points of view! Thanks for the ponderings this morning, Laurie.

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    • Kathy – I’m intrigued with your idea about the selection of masks (a new/different personality) for incarnation. Nice turn of the table — now you’ve got me thinking along that track 🙂

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      • I’ve been thinking about this all day! About how the process of living is taking off more and more masks until what is beneath all the masks is ultimately revealed. I so appreciate that you’ve sparked these thoughts.

  13. We’re not costume wearers generally, but if we ever have the opportunity, I’ll have to remember the cereal killer. Very ingenious! As for masks, as an introvert, I would say I’m quite familiar with wearing one!

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  14. Hi Laurie …I am ( or have become ) a social phobic . So my mask is really important to me . I never go anywhere without it . I chose to become a hairdresser as my profession which is probably one of the worse jobs EVER with my problem and yet over the years my customers have become my friends. Life at times can become very difficult for me, but those who care about me , love me with or without my mask .
    Your husband looks so cute by the way.
    Cherry x

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    • Cherry – Thank you so much for sharing WHY your mask is important to you. Clearly you’ve invested solid soul-searching in this arena. And you remove it — selectively — because those who love you do so with and without it — both. 🙂

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  15. One year I was seaweed. I know I had a photo but haven’t found it. As to masks, several years ago I finally figured out trying to be what “you” wanted me to be wasn’t working, so now I don my mask only when social correctness requires it.

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  16. My friend TALON just published an amazing poem about taking the mask down – deep and autumn amazing
    http://talonted.blogspot.com/2013/10/braided-grasses.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FgiDB+%28TALON%29

    I think this my be my life’s journey
    I have a wonderful workshop I share at the University it is about change and communication and seeing the self with honesty and not so much negativity…very powerful.

    love the cereal killer – saw some truly lovely and creative costumes at the farmer’s market on Sunday Some very creative folks on this planet.

    Your words are always so good. Thank you

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  17. I usually just stand at the door for the neighborhood kids. Clearly, I haven’t gotten out enough. This year I’ll be traveling with my daughter on her favorite holiday, Halloween.

    I love cereal killer. I think I’ll celebrate on line by sharing this pic. OK with you?

    Lovely to meet up again with many other online friends here. Some new ones, too. Fun!

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  18. You are definately a creative couple. And you know how to have fun.
    Thank you for your wise words…
    If we don a mask to accommodate someone else’s idea of who we ought to be, it’s time to stop the masquerade; to remove it.
    You asked: What was the last mask you wore?
    Not a mask, beautiful hats, scarves, shawls and…
    I love to dress-up and seek out opportunities to do so. My latest opportunity was yesterday. A talented fibre artisan staged a photo shot and asked me, along with another island gal, to be a model/photographer. Wow, talk about reaching beyond my comfort zone. But it was so much fun.
    So…
    If we don a mask to fill a role that another invisions for us, we have an opportunity to grow or at least have fun.

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    • Leanne – I sure hope that you plan to put a photo post on your blog about your recent adventure! How fun is that?! And yes, when others see potential in us that we haven’t tapped yet and provide us with the opportunity to reach it, that’s definitely a plus.

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  19. I have been working quite hard for the last twenty years to remove the masks put there by my own declarations, and the conditioning of culture, so now I do my best to avoid masks, and to simply be the best me that I can. Not always pretty, and what it is.

    I find the whole idea of masks quite dangerous at the societal level. Games theory tells us that the only way to really be able to fool someone else is to also fool yourself. At some level, that seems to me, that is ultimately self defeating.

    So masks are not my thing.
    Happy to explore the infinite possibilities within me, and I attempt to ensure that each one is an authentic expression of me.

    And I do like Len’s cereal killer outfit.

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    • Ted – Even though I don’t know much about games theory, what you shared here resonates strongly with me.

      If each of us was the best “me” we could be, the world would look much different.

      If each of us would be “kind on purpose,” the world would look much different.

      If…

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  20. Oh, I LOVE the “cereal killer” and “bruise” costumes! Brilliant ideas. I don’t recall my most recent costume/mask–but I once went to a party at the Y2K Bug. That was fun.

    Great post, Laurie!

    Hugs from Ecuador,
    Kathy

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  25. It’s blogs as your does that always bring laughs, tears and smiles. You got me on the word “cereal” and seeing Len be so funny I was laughing before I read about the black and blue…funny too. Seeing the light side of life is what I am about. I study alot so we have to use the dictionary. I dressed with a banner like worn in a beauty contest and labeled it Miss Understood… Went perfect with the blonde hair and studying so much. Happy Halloween to you and your husband and all of your amazing readers. : )

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  27. well, here I am . . . late but at least it is still Tuesday. Can you tell that furlough is over? Anyway, the last mask I wore was the eagle mask for a shamanic ceremony where I invited my power animal to meld with me and take a walk. Someone later asked how we knew if it we had “melded.” For me, it was listening to a woman who was holding some kind of clicker and making a noise. The eagle in me was very attentive to noises. He called her “the woman with the unimportant noise.” I would have called her by name. That’s how I knew the difference between us. Meanwhile, I have pumpkins on my doorstep and candy in my cabinet waiting for trick-or-treat night.

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  28. The photo of Len with the cereal boxes is an all-time classic Laurie! I guess the mask wearing is a regular took when dealing with the parents of children. Now you know you want to tell the truth,…..but you have to be diplomatic about these things…..always a balancing act. ha!

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  30. I am trying to shatter my masks–and be ME all the time. It’s risky–and there is fallout–but I want that for me in this life. I am not so bad, even without them. Just human.

    Your hubs is ay-dorable, and the bruise costume is very clev-ah. Tell me–were there brass knuckle accoutrements? 😉

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  33. That is HILARIOUS! Too funny and so original! The funniest one I did with a boyfriend – we wore black tights, white gloves, put giant lawn & leaf bags over our heads and blew up a ton of balloons and stuffed them inside the trash bags – we were the California Raisins! Ha Ha – Have a great Halloween. 🙂

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  34. I love that Cereal Killer! What an original idea! But I have to say ‘the Bruise’ is also quite innovative.
    Wearing a ‘grown-up’ mask all the time is quite hard to do. My inner self still feels like a 10-year-old!

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  35. Hi, what a great blog you have. Love the costume, but I also love that you painted yourself black and blue. What a vivid marrige you have – with so much love and fun with your husband. You´re welcome to look at my blog anytime, if you have time. All the best to the two of you and I´m looking forward to your next post! 🙂

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  37. I burst out laughing when I saw that picture. That is absolutely hilarious! I have a friend whose husband calls her Cereal Killer because of her love for cereal and I must send a link to this post to her. Great job.

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