Monday, November 2, 2009

Taking a risk


Unless you live far, far away from these United States, you probably had more than a few kids at your door begging for candy on Saturday night. It's kind of a big deal.

So a few months ago, my daughter decided that the "Cone of Shame" used on the dogs in the movie UP was pretty hilarious, and she wanted to fashion her Halloween costume around it. We gathered all the makings of a humiliated dog and put them in the closet until the big day.

Saturday morning, it was time for a trial run. She dressed in her costume, ran to the mirror and...cried. Tears, sobbing, the whole deal. She just didn't have the confidence she needed to pull it off. It's a fear I know well. Looking stupid. Failure. If I'm trying to be funny in my speech, will I flop? If everyone knows I'm writing a book and then it never gets published, will I crumple up in a ball and die?

She searched through some safer costumes left over from years past. No one would laugh at a colonial girl or a knight, perhaps she should go with that? I told her that was fine with me. It takes guts for a 10-year-old to walk around in public looking completely uncool. She's also entered the age where everything is just sooo embarrassing ohmygod. If she was doing the funny costume thing, it would be a risk. She just had to be all, "Yeah, that's right! I look ridiculous. Ha!"

In the end, she decided to go for it:
Thank Dog it was a hit.

How about you? Are you taking any risks lately?

9 comments:

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Awesome costumes. Good for your daughter for stepping outside the box. I'm taking risks by writing in new genres and networking more directly with agents. You only live life once, right? May as well go for it!

Alissa Grosso said...

Great costume, and good lesson for all of us. It's time I took some risks of my own.

Tamika: said...

Writing is the best risk I can take. It forces me to rely on God with feverish intent. I have increased my faith by simply believing I can.

This is the blood, sweat, and tears I have been dreaming about.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Good for her! I've gone all out with some costumes and there's always that moment of panic that NO ONE ELSE WILL DRESS UP.

I feel like my life is the result of a giant risk and now we're trying to claw our way out of it. Hopefully soon we will.

Ha! wv: lacost -- so cool.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Ha, that's great! Good for her. And they're both such cuties.

I have a risk up my sleeve. I may or may not pull it out in the next couple of weeks.

Allie said...

Ooh! Awesome costumes!

Rachel Cotterill said...

I think it's great that she went for it - you obviously did a good job of building up her confidence :)

colbymarshall said...

Hahahaha- that's creative. I kind of want to wear that E-collar costume next year. It's even funnier to me because I worked as a veterinary technician for years. Heeeheee

Amy said...

Fabulous costume! Very creative. Must take after her mother. My biggest risk is just admitting to others that I write.