Halloween is my least favorite holiday, and I'm really not a fan of scary things. Yet, every year for at least 8 years, I've gone to an All Hallow's Eve Haunted House party, hosted by a couple of good friends. It's really quite ingenious. This couple converted an old barn behind their house into a multi-functioning building, and every year for the past 20 or so years (or more, I'm not sure) they, with help from friends, construct a haunted house. They re-purpose pieces each year to make different configurations of dark hallways, graveyards, mazes and rooms for the guests to walk through, complete with live actors who really get into their roles of ghosts, ghouls and zombies. It's ingenious, it's fabulous and everyone involved is someone I know. I hate haunted houses. Really hate them. And every year for the past 8 years, I've gone through with my eyes closed, head down, clutching the shirt of my husband. Every year for the past 8 years, when we emerge from the darkness into the party dining room, the host says to me, "So, how was it?" And every year for the past 8 years, I've responded, "Same as last year. I didn't see a damn thing."
When I first got the invitation a month or so ago, I didn't think I wanted to go. For a couple different reasons. A very dear friend convinced me otherwise (actually, I believe he told me not going was not an option), and asked me to play behind the scenes, as one of the voices of the host's brain. I agreed, and I'm so very glad I did. This year's party was different. First of all there was no haunted house. There was a dark hallway to walk through to get to the dining room, but no real haunted house. The costume theme this year was characters from Rocky Horror Picture Show or Young Frankenstein, and there was going to be audience participation. Upon suggestion, I chose Magenta (the domestic from RHPS), and dug out a little black dress I had back in college. To my surprise and excitement, it still fit!! This, in and of itself, was a moment of pure AHA!
I had a great time voicing the brain, dinner was absolutely delicious (as usual) and the party that ensued following dinner was fabulously outrageous. Another friend had pieced together clips from the two movies, highlighting some of the more famous scenes from both. We watched the video and were encouraged to act out our character's parts in each scene. People were very enthusiastic about participating, and everyone played along by yelling out appropriate phrases as directed by cue cards. And, of course, we all did the Time Warp. Because you just can't watch RHPS and not.
Throughout the evening, I had conversations with various people which reconfirmed how immensely important my friends are to me, and I to them. I know that many of the people I talked with would do just about anything for me. And I hope they know that I would do just about anything for them, as well. After the party had wrapped up, I went to stay with a couple of very dear friends. We stayed up late and talked, as we often do when given the opportunity. I am so extremely blessed to have the friends I do.
I have to admit, I was nervous about going to a party with Rocky Horror Picture Show as the theme, and I don't always do well with audience participation. But I am so thankful I didn't skip this year, as I had originally planned. I need that kind of craziness in my life to keep me sane! Between the compliments on the costume, the conversations with people, the hugs and kisses from friends and the encouragement to be just a little crazy now and then, my night was filled with AHA. And I loved every moment of it!
:) :)
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