An event was coming up where Frank Davis thought he could have a lot of fun with his family. That he might do it dressed as a woman, made it even better.
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I have my outfit all picked out. A pink hoodie, my skinny jeans, and a long, blonde wig that is aptly named “Hot Honey”. Red lipstick and some clumpy mascara will complete the transformation. When I stroll into the library this Saturday, I am sure to turn a few heads.
My wife will be with me as will my two young daughters. They support me in this endeavor. Actually, they encouraged me when I had doubts. After all, my wife will be dressing as a man and my children will be decked out as a time machine and an evil alien.
In case you have not figured it out, my family and I are going to an event and are dressing in costume. We are cosplaying at a Doctor Who event celebrating the kick-off of the show’s new season. There will be trivia, food, activities, and of course, a costume contest. A Saturday of all things Doctor Who and it will be a blast.
You may still be hung up on my costume. I understand. I was too at first. I wanted to go as The War Doctor, played by John Hurt. The costume would have been very manly. A worn, leather jacket paired with dusty, old pants. Bare soled boots that disappear into leather shin guards. A dirty, red scarf wrapped around my neck, tucked inside an upturned collar. Top this off with scruffy stubble that looks as if it had been embedded into the skin with glass and you have the costume of a Time Lord who has seen enough. That is what I wanted to wear.
Then, the part of my brain that has embarrassed me so many times in my life spoke up. It decided to go another route. Why? Remember how I mentioned that my wife was dressing as a man? She is dressing up as a cutesy version of the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. She loves him, he is her favorite Doctor. The Tenth Doctor’s first companion was Rose Tyler. Here is where my brain comes in. How funny would it be to dress up as Rose to match up with my wife? Surely the judges would not be able to resist that!
Instead of just letting this thought pass, my brain decided to say this out loud…at the dinner table…in front of my wife and daughters. If you have kids and you are a dad, you know that the moment you mention the possibility of dressing up in a wig and dressing like a girl there will be immediate buy-in. My daughter’s smiles stretched across their faces, through the dining room, across the kitchen, and into the front yard.
“YOU HAVE TO DRESS UP AS ROSE, DADDY! PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!”
How do you say no to that?
The choice was made the moment my brain came up with the idea. Sure, I still looked around at various costume ideas for The War Doctor, but I knew my destiny. My wife picked up a pink hoodie (ladies XL) for me to wear. She will help me with my make-up so I can appear as lady-like as Patrick Swayze in To Wong Foo… I will don my skinny jeans and Halloween sexy wig and walk into this event as if Ru Paul were behind me singing “You Better Work!”
How does this make me a better man and father? It shows my children and my wife that I believe the time we spend together is best spent carefree and having fun. I sometimes forget to let go of being an adult and let the kid in me run wild. Being silly and having the courage to laugh at yourself is a lesson that every man should be willing to embody for his family.
When my kids heard me say that I might dress as Rose, their faces became one big canvas of giddy, imaginative glee. Is it worth a little embarrassment to make that painting last a lifetime? Yes, without a doubt. Is it worth making my wife happy to be the counterpart to her favorite character, even if she will look adorable and I will look like Freddie Mercury in Key West? Of course it is. Is it worth the harassment I will receive when pictures from the event are posted to Facebook and the comments from my buddies start rolling in? Jury is out on that one.
Besides, when I don those high heels, I just might learn something.
Photo: Flickr/Margaret Jane