In the spirit of the holidays, I wanted to share with you a little vignette. As I left my local Kmart on Astor Place one Saturday in December, I came across a herd of gentlemen dressed as Santa Claus. This did not occur by happenstance. Once a year, people in the 5 boroughs join together for a pub-crawl on a chilly December day known as SantaCon. The only requirement to participate is that you dress in the full Kringle get-up – no elf hats and jeans will do my friends. The crew I encountered did look the part, as by this time of the day their cheeks and noses were a little rosy.
To give you a little description of the setting, Astor Place is a square in the middle of the East Village. In the square, along with bike racks and hipsters, there is a large sculpture that is a cube that stands on one of its corners. At that corner there is a pivot that allows you to spin the cube around.
On this fine early afternoon, a few jolly old elves felt so empowered by Christmas spirit(s) that they dashed and pranced through traffic to the monument in question. Giving a nod, four of them began to spin the cube. They really got it going as the white poof balls atop their caps flapped behind them and appeared strained to stay attached. Of course the pack of 30 or so Santa’s across the street had to cheer them on with an appropriate ….
“ Ho! Ho! Ho! …”
Seeing these Santa’s reminds me of one of my theories on how to interact with strangers in a public setting. Overall, wearing a timely costume is one of the best ways to meet people randomly on the street, at a bar, or seated at a public library. In part – as I recall from my undergrad psych classes – people will naturally take on a persona when the dress in uniform or a costume. It also provides an instant icebreaker
But, more than that, it provides an instant litmus test for the type of person with whom you, the costume wearer, is going to interact. Essentially, there are three types of people in this world when in a costume:
1) Those who are too cool for school or slightly wierded out by the alternative dress
2) Those who dress in a costume normally and think nothing of it
3) Those who fun extraverts looking for an excuse to make a friend.
Certainly in a social setting we would all like to meet number three and when wearing a costume you would probably just avoid 1 & 2. Therefore, go be social and if you need an icebreaker around Easter, try picking up some rabbit ears at your local drug store. It might just put a few more Ho-Ho-Ho’s in your evening.
SantaCon Video:
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Toast of the Town
Every August my father takes his kids to the Ohio State Fair. Mom would generally avoid the indistinguishable August stench from the pig barn and the average fair patron. But, we all delighted in the best breakfast of the year – elephant ears and milk shakes – and the crowning event of the morning, a ride down the giant yellow slide. As part of the ritual, every child was allowed to play one of the carnival games to win a prize. After years of scientific experimentation, I figured out that the birthday guessing game was your best bet at coming home with a stuffed animal or a knick-kanck that would soon become a dog chew toy.
One summer I remember my friend, Evan Ruff, was invited to join along. Both Evan and I played and, given my decision in games, we both won. Oddly enough, we both selected as our prize what might have been the dumbest trend in sportsfan wear of the mid-nineties - the Dr. Seuss Hat. Evan chose a red and grey one. It was versatile and could be worn at his schools sporting events and moments of Ohio State pride - which are not rare inside of I-270. I choose black and gold. At the time I was one of the few, the proud Columbus Crew Soccer fans.
Like several others, I was swept up in Crew-mania when the MLS came to town. As a teenager, the team came to me at a time when my mind was fertile grounds for sports heroes and passion. I played soccer, so it was only natural.
But, like the career of Doctor Khumalo, the road for the MLS and crew have not always been smooth. Liquidating teams in Florida. A general decline in attendance after the initial hoopla. A poor showing by an MLS dominated US national team in the 1998 world cup. All seemed to be heading in the wrong direction at the turn of the millennium.
But, over the past few years, the trend has reversed. Despite these economic times, the MLS is essentially financial solvent. Attendance is picking up. Additionally, the sporting culture is becoming more mature. With the Nordeck, a supporter’s section has come to Columbus that provides a unique sporting experience. Previously the crew supporter’s section drew 75 people on a good day. Now they are averaging over 2,000 in the section.
With all of this, somehow my youthful obsession with the black and gold finally feels rewarded. The day after Harvard once again toppled the bulldogs, my sporting weekend was rescued when the Crew won the MLS Cup. When other people saved the front page when Obama swept, I asked my parents to save Monday's Columbus Dispatch.
To me it seems that the MLS and the Crew are defining its own piece of the pie. Hopefully it will continue to grow and mature so that I can return to game once Dr. Seuss hats are back in style.
= = = = = = = = =
Sampling of the Nordecke
One summer I remember my friend, Evan Ruff, was invited to join along. Both Evan and I played and, given my decision in games, we both won. Oddly enough, we both selected as our prize what might have been the dumbest trend in sportsfan wear of the mid-nineties - the Dr. Seuss Hat. Evan chose a red and grey one. It was versatile and could be worn at his schools sporting events and moments of Ohio State pride - which are not rare inside of I-270. I choose black and gold. At the time I was one of the few, the proud Columbus Crew Soccer fans.
Like several others, I was swept up in Crew-mania when the MLS came to town. As a teenager, the team came to me at a time when my mind was fertile grounds for sports heroes and passion. I played soccer, so it was only natural.
But, like the career of Doctor Khumalo, the road for the MLS and crew have not always been smooth. Liquidating teams in Florida. A general decline in attendance after the initial hoopla. A poor showing by an MLS dominated US national team in the 1998 world cup. All seemed to be heading in the wrong direction at the turn of the millennium.
But, over the past few years, the trend has reversed. Despite these economic times, the MLS is essentially financial solvent. Attendance is picking up. Additionally, the sporting culture is becoming more mature. With the Nordeck, a supporter’s section has come to Columbus that provides a unique sporting experience. Previously the crew supporter’s section drew 75 people on a good day. Now they are averaging over 2,000 in the section.
With all of this, somehow my youthful obsession with the black and gold finally feels rewarded. The day after Harvard once again toppled the bulldogs, my sporting weekend was rescued when the Crew won the MLS Cup. When other people saved the front page when Obama swept, I asked my parents to save Monday's Columbus Dispatch.
To me it seems that the MLS and the Crew are defining its own piece of the pie. Hopefully it will continue to grow and mature so that I can return to game once Dr. Seuss hats are back in style.
= = = = = = = = =
Sampling of the Nordecke
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