Halloween

One year back in elementary school, I decided to be Princess Jasmine from Aladdin for Halloween. My mom made all of my costumes back then, so I had a one-of-a-kind Princess Jasmine outfit, much more accurate and interesting than any store-bought version. I loved the costume, and couldn't wait to wear it to go trick-or-treating around my grandparents' neighborhood. Princess Jasmine, it's well known, wore flowy pants and a bikini-style top, leaving her arms and midriff bare.

When the evening rolled around, however, my mom made me wear a light pink turtleneck underneath my costume. Mortified, I pointed out that Jasmine never had to wear a turtleneck under her outfit! Readily prepared for this exact protest, my mom responded that Princess Jasmine didn't live in Western Washington in October. Guess I had overlooked the fact that a middle-eastern princess isn't properly equipped for a crisp autumn evening in Tacoma, where temperatures average in the 50s or 60s.

Now, it's Halloween weekend in Savannah, and the past two days have seen 80 degree weather. Maybe if I had tried to go as Princess Jasmine over here, I would have been more successful.

As a side note, I have been numerous Disney princesses as a kid. I've been Snow White, Jasmine, Esmeralda, and Pocahontas. Notice how only one princess was white? And yet people like to argue that Disney isn't very diverse. Could have fooled me!