the Barbie effect

I haven't rushed out, yet, to buy Barbies for me, I mean my nieces, but I am reminiscing fondly and talking about her, a lot.  

The movie was great.  I'm not sure I can add anything that hasn't already been said except to say it was nice being "heard" on screen so blatantly, and in my own words even, for the first time.  It's empowering to use that as a conversation starter with my 19 year old my daughter and then once he sees it, with my husband who still just doesn't get me when I try to explain what it's like being a woman or growing up as a woman of my era.  And I want my son to see it but when he's ready to want to know more about why our world is the way it is.

What I am doing with more fun, and credit to all the collectors out there, is trying to find pictures of my actual Barbies.  Thank you!!!!!  Unfortunately,d I cannot find pictures of the amazing outfits my talented grandma made by hand for her but I know what they looked like and knew she made them, for me.  

The other reminiscing that the movie inspired was to think about me, who I wanted to be and who I am and how Barbie helped her develop.  For me, Barbie was a fashion model with crazy clothes.  What I used her for was my imagination to turn myself, via Barbie, into Jamie Sommers who was my ACTUAL idol.  I loved Wonder Woman too, truly, but for some reason Barbie never became her.  I think the situations Jamie found herself in were just more realistic and aligned with my interest in being strong and a spy-type problem solver, and of course, I actually played tennis!  Now we need a movie version of The Bionic Woman please Greta!

ps - best repository of Barbies I could find: https://barbieguide.sosugary.com/