Who else is obsessed with Barbie? I know I am! I have always been a fan. As a child, all I ever wanted to do was play with my Barbie dolls. Every single type of Barbie interested me. The Barbies with blonde hair, curly hair, brown hair, or the ones with different jobs like rock star, nurse, doctor, or lawyer.
When it came to Barbie, they were all my favorite along with her little sisters, Skipper, Stacy, Chelsea, Kelly, and Chrissie.
When I dressed my 40 or so dolls and they sat around on the carpet in my room in their magnificent colorful outfits, that’s when the fun started. Together, we discussed friends and school, parties we were scared to go to, or bullies we had to stand up to. My Barbies were brave and confident. They were poised and graceful. And of course, they had an amazing sense of style.
They were my friends. They did not bully me. They did not push their face up against mine and scare me with mean words. If my Barbies ever bullied each other in the fantasy world of my bedroom, I acted as the mediator. I was the teacher, the mom, the friend, and their therapist. I was able to talk about my fears and feelings with these dolls. They listened as I practiced self-advocating.
Dressing them up for their parties, proms, school, and playdates calmed me down. I practiced my words with them. I practiced how to answer my friends at school. The Barbies listened calmly and did not interrupt while I struggled to find a word. They gave me the courage to face the real world.
When my live friends came over for playdates, not all of them liked playing with Barbies. But most did and we played for hours in our make-believe world. We made tents and club houses. We played school and camp. We put on shows and read them books. Some of my friends’ parents refused to buy them Barbie dolls. So, they could only play with Barbies when they were in my home. I felt really sorry for them because living without Barbies to me sounded so lonely.
I’m very open with my supporters about how I was bullied in middle school. It mattered which clique you were in. Acceptance to the popular clique depended on how you looked and how you dressed. I wasn’t cool. I wore braces and had glasses. I had sensory issues so I wore leggings under my skirts and comfortable sneakers instead of the latest designer shoes. I stumbled with my words because of my dyslexia so I never had a clever retort. I was the perfect target for bullies.
I love the message that Barbie always gave and still does even in this new Barbie Princess Adventure movie coming to Netflix on September 1st. “Stay true to yourself no matter what.”
I can definitely relate to the lyrics in the song “This Is My Moment” from the Barbie Princess Adventure soundtrack: “I used to feel invisible. Now you see me, now you don’t.”
After middle school, I realized that it was time for me to shine. I was starting over in a new school and I deserved to stand out. I finally found my voice and I never tried to silence who I was again.
Since Barbie was part of my first BFF squad, I will always be a loyal Barbie Girl! 💖
