Parties

I have had always a great fondness for parties. Where most would say the same on account of their readiness to revel–and surely no one can say that they dislike festivities–I, on the other hand, am much happier planning them than attending them. I love to watch and feel winds of confidence, in the successful use by others, of plans I, myself, have devised. The ultimate compliment is that of another’s joyful abandon.

In my mind, a party is as much a work of art as any other executed by brush or chisel. A theme is recognized through instrumental subtley. The partiers must mark only vaguely the presence of contrivance. They must see enough of a hoax to recognize refinement in the execution of the festival elements, but not so very much as would break the spell of the atmosphere. In this way, a party is more like a movie in which the appearances of fear and felicity are expertly transferred, with only the slightest cushion of disbelief to render panic into celebration. One appreciates authenticity in the parts, and excess on the whole. By that same token, one must never leave a party having felt that it was entirely faithful to reality. Though devotedly authentic, yet it is tinctured with mad absurdity.

Of course, parties exist to wipe clean the woes of everyday life. They are finest when they succeed in this regard, and the revelers leave with littler thoughts of trouble and responsibility. Whatever the means, this is the preferred end.

Each year, I look forward to Halloween. It is, without doubt, my favorite holiay. And why not? When else can I dress to be the things I admire, yet am not? When else is fear so closely a brother to excitement? I host a grand party to celebrate all the beautiful, dark mysteries of night and the creatures that exult in those shadows! I invite upwards of 150 people. I work for months in purusit of the perfect menu, the perfect music. Everything must be obsessively refined.   

As I have said, my principal joy is in seeing my visions come to life; to watch with proud eyes when others find thrilling, the same things that I find thrilling. In the past, I have hosted this party in which the masterful elements were poorly combined. One saw too much the intrusions of the planner, and knew for certain that what he or she beheld, was in fact, untrue. This year, as I prepare for my annual Halloween party, I am keenly aware of the scenarios and visions that would transport a guest. I will work feverishly and in every detail, to prosecute these duties with excellence. If I succeed, my guests will feel the ecstasy of fear tempered by wonder and enchantment. 

Perhaps it is a vulnerability that I anticipate a single holiday all year long. No matter that it may be, my excitement begins anew each year, and each year, my imagination grows wilder!