Frank Sinatra isn’t lazy. He’s been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king.

I’ve only been four of those things, so far. Not because I’m lazy, it’s just that I don’t have as many years on me as Frank, and my circle of compatriots and associates is far less comprehensive than his was, requiring less role-based interactions.

I have not been a king of any sort, and though I readily admit to a few corporate situations where I was a bit of a pawn, I have successfully never become anyone’s puppet. (Whew.)

Look, I’m not trying to play The Sands - I just want to make it from MARVEL movie to MARVEL movie with as little incident as possible: little do I strive to accomplish that crosses kings or conjures strings.

Frank Sinatra helped define the time that he lived in, and that time helped shape the person that he became. Can you imagine Frank Sinatra as the lead singer in an ‘90’s hard rock band? Or as a superstar DJ on a festival stage? Or playing the role of King George in Hamilton? Okay, well, that one’s pretty cool… they’d probably have to add a more swingin’ horn section.

But none of those would be Frank. Frank is a sharp suit, a half-drained martini glass, a dangling cigarette and a microphone. You could use those items to dress as Frank Sinatra for Halloween, as together, they form a fair representation of his iconography, if you combine all of that with a little bit of charm.

Oh, and a tremendous amount of talent, of course, which you can’t get at a costume store.

He made it look easy. Well, they all did; Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett and Nat King Cole and Judy Garland, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin. They all sang songs six nights a week, two to three shows a night, and made ‘em swing. Las Vegas royalty.

We don’t have anything like that now, really. Celine Dion, sure… Lady Gaga, Beyoncé. But those are productions - awe inspiring events, with giant screens and costumes and special effects, not just a person and a band and a microphone.

Anyway, I was thinking about what to be for Halloween this year, and I had a longer list of what I DIDN’T want to be…

* Scared

* Tired

* Furious

* Confused

* Overwhelmed

* Panicked and

* Numb

…the seven dwarves that nobody likes.

I wanted to be confident but not meglomaniacal, present while lacking pretention, and… fun. I write a humor column for my family. I cannot afford to dismiss the world as merely Grim, Dark, Dire, or Cold, though those were my “spookytime” themes this year, and I can’t make the world all better either. My chief strategy is to offset - there’s always grim news, so create something pleasant; where possible, bring a bit of light to the darkness; fortify hope when all looks dire; and bring warmth, kindness to those overwhelmed by a dearth of empathy… The Cold.

Recycle a bottle, plant a tree - actually I did plant a tree in 1972 and it grew to a giant thing I saw 20 years later. That made a fair bit of oxygen for a planted stick we got on sale from the K-Mart garden store.

Anyway, here at the end of this seasonal year, I wish everyone a Happy Halloween. Enjoy yourself. Put on a costume. Play some music. Or do both at the same time.

Grim? Dark? Dire? Cold?

Not you, Baby. You’re swingin’.

That’s life (that’s life)That’s what all the people sayYou’re riding high in April, shot down in MayBut I know I’m gonna change that tuneWhen I’m back on top, back on top in June

I said that’s life (that’s life)And as funny as it may seemSome people get their kicksStomping on a dreamBut I don’t let it, let it get me down‘Cause this fine old world, it keeps spinnin’ around

I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poetA pawn and a kingI’ve been up and down and over and outAnd I know one thingEach time I find myselfFlat on my faceI pick myself up and getBack in the race

That’s life (that’s life)I tell you, I can’t deny itI thought of quitting, babyBut my heart just ain’t gonna buy itAnd if I didn’t think it was worth one single tryI’d jump right on a big bird and then I’d fly

My, my

That’s Life: 1963 by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon, arranged by Ernie Freeman

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