Corby’s Column

For fun I sometimes post a photo of one of my Barbies describing my state of mind. The last four weeks have been quite challenging and there were several particularly hard days. So this picture of Barbie pretty much says it all about the last few week…

Life can just be hard and it was time for some changes, so I did.

Now? I am doing much better. So this Barbie photo is a better description of how I am now. Three weeks later, I am doing much better.

So, what does Barbie have to do with this column you ask? Well, we go way back. When I was child my mom had a custom Barbie house made for me. Three stories tall, six rooms and a huge bonus room on the top level. It opens on both sides so I could see my friends when we were playing.

My mom held onto it as I moved all over the country. Then it was decision time. My parents went into a nursing home and there was no question that the doll house was coming to Georgia. The Barbies and their clothes and furniture. The doll house is 4 feet tall and 4 long and it is fabulous. Since I have The Three SONs it made no sense to John Winters to keep it. But his infamous line is, “Corby, your are going to do what you are gonna do.” So I kept it!

One of the last Barbies I purchased was in a box. Barbie was never made for a box. If you saw the Barbie movie there is a scene where Barbie is in the real world and Mattel tries to get Barbie back in the box. As they tighten the wires to hold her hands she comes flying out of that box. She knows she was not meant to be in a box.

The Barbie movie had a very deep underlying theme. It was really a powerful story line. Maybe that is the counselor in me. Most importantly, Barbie wasn’t made to be in box, YOU were not made to be in a box and I know I was not made for one either, Frankly, none of us are.

It was a gift from my mom that I will treasure forever and any little girls who want to play with the house and Barbies are free to come over. The doll house is in desperate need of a remodel. It has a Brady Bunch 70s vibe. So a redesign is in the near future.

The youngest SON of Thunder is in love with a beautiful, lovely, smart young woman and she is the love of his life and we love her too. She came over for my birthday to celebrate and she said to me “You are like Barbie.” You think I am like Barbie? She said “Oh yes with such enthusiasm. You can do anything just like Barbie.”

I got tears in my eyes and my heart was full. Then she gave me my Barbie Birthday card and she wrote, “Happy Birthday to the most influential Barbie I have ever met. You are so loved.” (when I read this it still makes me tear up)

Have you ever felt that someone has put you in a box? Well being stereotyped is the same as being put in a box. So just as I freed all my Barbies from their boxes I hope you will be freed from the confines of how others perceive you. Just as so many have judged Barbie, you may have been judged by people too. They may have you all wrong just because they look only at the outside of you. Barbie was created out of love and so were we.

I treasure in my heart the beautiful memories made with my mom and girlfriends through the years. I loved hanging out with Barbie and yes, Skipper and Ken. So whether you like Barbie or not, Barbie can pretty much do anything, from being a flight attendant, a doctor, a veterinarian, a nurse, a reporter, a pilot, a hockey player, astronaut, president, a homemaker, and so much more.

I know there were complaints about Barbie. Some women felt she made girls feel inadequate, but that was never the creator’s intention. Barbie changed everything for so many young girls like me. She is an independent woman, and she has a career, money, her own house, and car.

Just don’t let the blond hair, the clothes and the pink convertible fool you. Look beyond the surface. People and Barbie really can teach us about life, love and success. Whether in the real world or Barbieland.