P.A.R.T. WHY? Because I gotta!

At ten years old I stood in my grandparent's bathroom contorting my face, "Can't make the scene if you don't have the green..."

I had just seen Jim Carrey in the movie The Mask. From that point on I spent a lot of my time attempting to imitate his mannerisms and facial gestures.

Aside from the voice, I was missing two key items: a yellow suit and a chameleon-green mask.

I approached my grandfather for answers.

"Pop Pop," I said. "Where do people go to buy suits?"

"At a men's shop," he answered, looking at me curiously. "Or at the mall."

That didn't help. Of all the times I've been to the mall, I've never seen the type of suit I needed: a mustard yellow overcoat, pants and fedora hat with an eagle feather, black and white dotted tie and suspenders, and a matching black and white pair of leather shoes. A men's shop didn't sound all that helpful either, I've never even heard of one let alone knew where one was.

My grandmother was my last hope.

"Grandma," I started. "Can you crochet me a mask, a green one?"

I could tell she didn't know what to say, "What for?"

"So I can have a mask when I act like Jim Carrey."

"Oh," she said hesitantly. "I'm not sure how to make a mask like that."

I explained to her that all I needed was a green mask with a hole for my eyes and mouth. She was skeptical at first, but I knew she would let me down. When she was done crocheting the mask later that day before my dad came to pick me up, I put it on for the first time and made my way to the mirror. It was perfect. The color was more of an aqua but I didn't care, the hole thing covered my face and neck down to my shoulders. The misshapen holes I looked and talked out of were itchy in spots but I quickly got used to it.

"Somebody stop me!" I said excitedly with a sly smile. "P.A.R.T. WHY? Because I gotta!"

I loved it. I carried the mask in my pocket everywhere, waiting for the right moment to whip I out, throw it on, and yell 'smokin' at the top of my lungs.