We’re less than a week away from Halloween! If you had to design a costume that channeled your true, innermost self, what would that costume look like? Would you dare to wear it?

Great prompt. I’m going to step away from the tendency to think of my true self as something weak and broken and sad. Instead, I’ll embrace what’s even more scary – my strengths.

My top choices for costumes

Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) in His Girl Friday. She saved the day, she worked the newsroom and press room at the courthouse like a champ. Setting aside the inevitable romantic pairing, she’s pretty darn awesome. I don’t aspire to be a journalist, but I do like to think Hildy would be a kickass blogger if she were around these days. I’d like to think inside my mind is a spunky, smart, focused woman who knows the story is important. Plus, she had amazing clothing.

Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) from the television shows Maude and All in the Family. I loved that Maude tackled cutting edge issues including the propensity for upper middle class white women to dabble in social issues. I have a similar worldview to Maude and I also often lack tact or simply prefer to not use my tact skills 🙂 I’d love to have my graying hair arranged in a lovely Maude ‘do’ and wear one of her awesome two piece outfits or the caftans. She really strode across the room like a furious avenging angel.

Mary Bartowski aka Frost (Linda Hamilton) from Chuck. Excellent casting nod to the Terminator history with the casting (and requisite workout scene in her prison cell) of Sarah Connor to play Chuck’s Mom, CIA spy Mary. Mary left her kids and husband to pursue her assignment. She came back to reconnect, but as still a spy. She put her life on the line again and again for her kids and their teams.

Do I think I have an inner CIA spy? Why not? She’s incredibly smart, she’s devoted to her mission and she loves her family enough to make hard choices to preserve their safety. And she’s a badass. Who wouldn’t want to be Sarah Connor all grown up, minus the time travel?

Francie Nolan from ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ mights seem an unusual choice. But growing up with a lot of strikes against you, but persevering is something I can appreciate. Francie’s life didn’t magically change – she worked hard and things became somewhat better financially, but that was also due to her mother’s second-marriage to a police officer. There are so many moments when her character resonates with me – enabling alcoholics, striving to fix things, pushing for what you think can better your lot, resentment, hope, and adoring people who love you.

So it is plausible I could come up with a Maude costume next year. The rest are flights of fancy, but reflect what I hope my true innermost self might be.