Member-only story
What I learned at a hip-hop club on Halloween
To provide context, I’ve been self-quarantining in my apartment since the end of February. I’ve been super cautious to only go places that follow strict COVID protocols.
Yet, as Halloween approached, I found that old desire rising within me — time to costume up and go out! As a high sensation seeker (a person who craves new and novel experiences), Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. When else do you get to don a mask and take on a completely different persona? Ok, I know mask-wearing is losing its novelty right now, but stay with me.
I tried to suppress it, used my inner adult voice to remind myself to be responsible, but to no avail. It’s how I wound up at a hip-hop club dressed in a butterfly costume with homemade pipe cleaner antennae.
Walking in, I had no idea what to expect. I was by far one of the oldest people in the room. Most of the women were dressed in sexy, body-revealing outfits, the kind I’ve not rocked for twenty years.
I was also one of a handful of white people in a crowd of primarily Black and Brown young adults. Most of the music was unfamiliar for a 1970’s mellow rock lover and quite frankly, hearing lyrics like ‘bitches and hoes’ repeated over and over, was kinda rough.
