The Irony Mask

I don’t know any boy who loves Halloween more than Eric. Last fall, for the first time since he started trick-or-treating, he did not go door to door with his younger brother. Instead he wanted to stay home and hand out treats from our front porch. He wore his Michael Myers mask and silently waited outside as the sun set. This was the only day of the year when people treated him the way they would treat everyone else. Kids were not afraid of him, except for the littlest ones. They did not avoid him. Instead they seeked him out. On halloween he was accepted as “normal” while wearing his nightmare slasher costume. Kids would come up to him with a smile and greet him with delight, “Trick-or-Treat Michael Myers!” and “Cool costume!” He was popular and he didn’t even have to say a single word. No one would make fun of the way he spoke. For one night, everything was ok.