Today I volunteered to do the honor of playing Elmo at a Philadelphia outdoor block party for Philly AIDS Thrift. I had no idea what to expect, but I always thought it would be fun to be the Phillie Phanatic for a day. This is as close as I’m ever going to get.
It was nice spreading cheer and goodwill to so many Philadelphians. In my red fur there were no preconceived notions about who I was or what I valued. I made a lot of people smile. I enjoyed playing and dancing with the children. The most memorable dance was one little shy girl who would not give me a high five let me touch her. However she loved dancing in circles with me, it was a lot of fun.
That being said being Elmo, in a life sized heavy, warm costume, is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was hot. Thankfully, some other volunteers brought me some water. I hung in there as Elmo for four hours. One of the lessons I learned is never wear jeans . My jeans and shirt were soaked as if I was in the dunk tank that was outdoors at the event . My upper back is sore and my neck probably from balancing that Elmo head on my body for so long. It was great fun. I danced around making adults and children feeling more free to dance. W O R D up ! I do it again despite nausea and pain tonight – nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Here’s a picture from my mascot escapade. I’m hoping I find some of the pictures of me as Elmo an action. Be well and do the best you can with what you got.
