Act Three

Speaking of 'Mid Century Modern' (weren't we..?), my sister and I once owned and played with copious numbers of Barbie dolls. We imagined with them constantly. Obsessively. She was 7 years younger but that didn't matter. Age lost all meaning when once we launched into a 'play'. 

The accessories we amassed would make your eyes bug out, if you saw them now. I think our mother made most of them - suit jackets, dresses, slacks, hats, tiny little white gloves, aprons, and swim suits. Barbie always looked smashing in a swim suit. It's a wonder that any of us came out of this unscathed. It was a cruel blow to grow past 12 only to realize that WE WERE NEVER GOING TO LOOK LIKE THAT. Reality bites.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tinker-tailor/4208947721/

Often we were called away mid-play, and this was a bitter pill. Re-entry was always excruciating. There we would be, at the Barbie counter deep in dramatic conversation, when a Voice would call up the stairs. "Girls! Time to set the table!" Or "Girls! Your piano teacher is waiting!" Or "Girls! Your father is just opening your report cards!" 

There could be nothing worse. From the middle of a world where report cards did not exist, to imminent catastrophe? Just.shoot.me.now. 

But the nicest times were Saturday afternoons. The place was, for the moment, strangely quiet, and we would tip toe up the stairs to our Sanctuary. The shiny silver counter top was arranged immaculately, all ready for imagination to take over and astonish. Just to behold such beauty was enough. I remember just sitting there, gazing at it. Bliss.

That long and shiny counter played out countless scenarios: living, dating, marrying, child bearing, child training, child raising, and....and....well, there seemed to be no 'and'. The child raising was where it all stopped. Came to a screeching halt. A cliff with no hanger. I never did see a 'Granny' Barbie. Did you? No, I do not think any of us had, or played with, or heard of a 'Granny' Barbie. I suppose we all thought the Barbie just disappeared past the age of, say, 48?

Spoiler Alert: WE NEVER DISAPPEARED. We're still here. And aren't you glad? We got to do all that lovely early stuff (the dating, the marrying, child bearing, child training, child raising) - and then we found a sweet surprise: 'Granny' Barbie turned out to be the best Act in the Play! 

Who knew?


See you along the way!
the SconeLady



photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tinker-tailor/4208947721/">Tinker*Tailor loves Lalka</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>