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Barbie To Barbara

© Nancy Coulter

Last weekend I was taking care of my 7 year old sister. There is a big age difference between us (15 years) but somehow, there are things that stay the same no matter what generation you are part of.

She was sitting in her room playing with all of her Barbie dolls. She has the Barbie house, the car, the horse, a few Kens--everything a little 7 year old needs to fantasize about a beautiful world. I couldn't help remembering back to when I was her age and I played with my Barbies. My best friend and I would play for hours and hours. We had our own make-believe world where anything was possible. Our dreams became the dreams that our Barbie dolls "lived". Nothing was impossible, but then nothing was real in that world either.

Fifteen years later, its painfully true to me that the dreams I had for my Barbie just aren't possible. Even if they were, I don't think I want them. I wanted to be just like her. I wanted the long blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and that body. Yes, the Barbie body. The one that techincally, just can't exsist in real life (without crushing a few bones and organs). Aside from the physical dream world of Barbie, she was also able to do it all. She had her family, her dream job and she knew exactly how to keep Ken happy. Although it may be nice to have all of that, it's not what I want anymore. Thankfully, I've grown up from my dreams as a 7 year old.

I don't have the blonde hair, instead I have my own unique shade of red. And my eyes are just as crystal blue as I want them. They may not be "Barbie blue", but they are mine. My body isn't like Barbie's either. I work out and eat healthy to keep myself in shape, but I'm not looking to be a model. I'm just happy being me. As far as the family and dream job. Well, that's a few years off and if I can handle doing both the family and job, then I'll do it. But not because Barbie could, I'll do it because I can.

Barbie was my idol when I was a child. I wasn't the only little girl who wanted to be like her. All of my friends did and today, Barbie is still an idol for little girls. Fortunately, over the years I have discovered other idols and women to look up to.

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