I Might Not See Barbie, Because I’ll Be Too Emotional
You see… Barbie Kinda Saved My Life
Hello Readers!
I know that is quite a headline. I’ll explain shortly.
First, I wanted to invite you to listen to our second to last episode from Season 1 of Parenting is a Joke – and it’s with the wonderful Ted Alexandro. Ted has appeared on every late-night show and has a slew of comedy specials, as well as touring with Jim Gaffigan, AND he has recently become a father. Now, he has two little kids at home, and he’s trying to figure it all out. Of course, he is hilarious about it. You can listen to his episode HERE.
Next week, our final episode of Season 1 will air with a comedy couple expecting their first child: Joe List and Sarah Tollemache!
Look forward to that and GREAT news – we are greenlit for another season!
After next week’s final episode, we will return with a slew of podcast episodes, conversations, and jokes for a Season 2 launch on Sept 18th. Thank you for listening and supporting this project in its first year!!
Until then, the substack will keep going.
And now to my headline – okay, this might be a series of posts, so buckle up!
The Barbie movie. I haven’t seen it. I’m not sure I can see it! I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s because Barbie, well really the Barbie Dreamhouse wasn’t just any toy to me. It was a way of giving me something to look forward to, something to live for.
When I was 8 years old, I survived a terrible car accident. I was given a 50/50 chance of living. I spend a long time in the ICU. I don’t remember the day, but it must have been a few days after my second operation. The first was to save my life, as I had broken ribs puncturing my lung and liver and rupturing my spleen. The second operation was to give me a tracheotomy to help me start breathing again since I was too weak to do it on my own.
I couldn’t speak with the fresh tracheotomy, but my father called on this night and asked to talk to me – as he was working late and couldn’t get to the hospital. I remember the nurse asking if I was strong enough to say goodnight to him on the phone. I nodded yes. I cradled the receiver and listened to him say that when I got home from the hospital, he would buy me anything I wanted. Anything. So, start thinking about what you would like, and I will get it for you.
I mouthed I love you and goodnight as hard as possible, but nothing came out. The nurse told me that he said he heard me.
One thing you might know about kids – if you tell them that you’ll get them a gift, it occupies a lot of their brain space. I was so focused on the task of picking…anything! And so excited. As I healed and grew stronger, I finally chose the Barbie Dreamhouse. I remembered seeing a commercial for it, and it looked like the most beautiful, huge, shiny toy I could ever imagine.
Months passed, and I continued to progress. They thought I could go home in a matter of weeks. And then it happened: my last day in the hospital. I said goodbye to what had become my new family – a collection of nurses and nurse’s aides I saw daily. And when I got home and walked through my door, what was there to greet me? My little dog, Dapper, wiggling and shaking his tail, licking my face, and: The Barbie Dreamhouse. It was more significant and more stunning than it had looked on the TV screen.
I first told a portion of this story on the Moth in 2007 – if you’d like to watch it, you can here (it’s around 10mins)
More on this in posts to follow. Until then – maybe I should see the movie? I don’t know.
Let me know if you have any thoughts.
Check out our new podcast episode with Ted Alexandro. If you’re new to the podcast, 38 other episodes are waiting for you to explore, including conversations with Rachel Feinstein, Neil Gaiman, Catherine Reitman, Roy Wood Jr., Chris Gethard, Zarna Garg, and so many more.