Halloween is a transforming holiday, because we get to pretend that we are someone else for the day.

Of course actually we are always pretending we are someone other than who we really are. We haven't been our true selves since we were 5 years old. We used to be a little kid, and not really see ourselves as anything but an experiencer of the world, innocent as a bunny rabbit. We existed moment to moment, uninterested in what anyone thought of us, devoid of responsibility, not desiring any other fulfillment past the present moment, not having any anxieties about anything other than the monster under the bed.

Then the brainwashing started. We were instilled with ethics, morals, rules, inhibitions, fears and judgements. We began to have suspicions and doubts about ourselves and others. We were afraid we were too short, too unattractive, too stupid, and too weird to be just who we truly were, so we decided to pretend to be a person that was better.

That's where we are today. That is until Halloween comes along. Hooray! Today we can be exactly who we want to be!

Going to a party is great fun. Are you usually shy, retiring, afraid you will do or say the wrong thing, always hiding in a corner? Now you can decide to be Barrack Obama for a day, and go around shaking everyone's hand and gathering lots of clever comments from Batman, the Incredible Hulk, a monk, a witch and Wonder Woman.

Or are you are thinking you are not pretty enough for men to like you, so you always wear frumpy clothes and glasses and work in a library? You can choose to be Marilyn Monroe for the day and put on tons of make-up, wear a slinky satin dress and go stand over an open grate on a downtown street and wait for an updraft.

Or if you are normally a gorgeous beauty queen type and are sick of all that constant attention from men, you can decide to be a witch for the day. You can paint your face green, put a wart on your nose, cover up your shiny locks with a black hat and wear a black shapeless dress that covers your perfect body. Voila! You can now be assured that men will only be talking to you because they are impressed with your endless wit and intelligence, assuming any men talk to you.

And men, if you are normally Wally the Wimp you can be Spider Man for the day. Or if you are the neigborhood pastor you can be Darth Vador and talk in a menacing voice all night, instead of just saying "Yes my child" in a gentle tone like you usually have to do.

No one is shy with a costume on, so it is great fun to go out to bars and cafes on Halloween. You can keep your identity safe and act however you please. Just like you did when you were 5 years old. My only warning is to be sure not to make any next day plans with members of the opposite sex who are in costume, because their entire personality and looks will be different the next day. Superman will usually turn out to be the meter reader from the gas company. The best thing is to enjoy your new persona thoroughly for the evening and then disappear like Cinderella (or Cinderfella as the case may be) and turn back into the tiresome self that lies under the costume, filled with worries , self doubts, judgements and mass consciousness programming. You can cheer yourself up when you get home by sneaking some of your kids' trick or treat candy. The brown tootsie pops are excellent.

But wait! Your wonderful Halloween experience doesn't have to be over. It's possible that you had such a great time being someone else, that you wake the next morning and have an instant epiphany about your life and decide you're sick of the whole charade.

You may decide it is a good idea to wear your costume to your place of employment and tell your boss just what you think of him, and then proceed to your boy/girlfriend's house and do the same. It could be a very freeing and life changing day. If you decide to do this, let me know how it turns out.

Happy Halloween!