Every Wednesday night at our local pub is Trivia Night. For many years now, six of us have played at the same table but on two separate teams. Jack and Brett are The Blue Experience and Mark, Julie, Steve and I are Jack’s Rejects (so-called because Jack wouldn’t let us on his team). Even though we all sit together the rivalry is fierce – no looking over shoulders, no reading lips, no bribery or death threats and no trying to read upside down.

But no matter how strong the competition at trivia, we’re together as one with our fancy dress nights. About once a month we come up with a theme for the next week. This creates a lot of fun for everyone else as well and the rest of the trivia teams are disappointed when we don’t dress up. Some of our themes have been doctors, babies, bikies, pirates, Irish (St Patrick’s Day), cowboys, Santas, jockeys (Melbourne Cup), Hawaiians, Arabs, soldiers (Anzac Day), wigs, fur, brought our teddy bears, hippies, spooks (Halloween), Indians, and heaps more.

The great thing about dressing up is that it takes you out of yourself – out of our comfort zones and brings out our creative sides. The best thing is thinking what to do next. And we don’t spend any money except for an occasional $2 Shop buy.

I think our favourite night was when we had to wear something on our head from home. I strapped a box of tissues to my head and everyone who walked past took one to blow their nose. Mark wore a bowl of fruit, Steve a colander, Jack a mop, Brett a plastic dish and Julie a saucepan.

It’s all a bit silly but then life is so short, so what the hell. Anyway, I think it’s good to take life a little less seriously as often as we can. And silly or not, it is a lot of fun. Try it at one of your own pub trivia nights – you’ll love it and you’ll make other people smile at the same time.

Happy dress-ups!

By Virginia Scott