I started out as a very imaginative child; as I
like to call it. Although now I know it was just me sensing the
inner dork developing in me. As a 6yr old, I remember trying to
get the neighbor’s grandsons attention (I had the hots for
him at 6) when, I tried to convince him I was actually a mermaid.
He and his older brother came down the hill one
day to play. His older brother was a more mature 8. Their grandparents
owned some old antique cars, with rumble seats. When they would
come up from "the city" we would all go play pretend around
the cars. WELL, one day, I saw them coming down the hill. I ran
into the house and grabbed a pillow case and some twine. I crawled
into the case (I was short) and pulled it up to my thighs. I wrapped
the twine around my legs tightly and tucked it in from behind and
then made sure my bikini top was in place. I had the equivalent
of Marcia Brady hair at age 6. I sat with my brush and mirror and
propped myself up on the old tractor tire that my mom had converted
into a sand box. They came over and asked what I was doing and if
I wanted to play. I smiled batting my eyes at the boy and said-
"Oh I cannot today, I am a mermaid". His older brother
started laughing and snorting at me. I was really offended. "You
are NOT a mermaid"... To which I retorted; Oh YES I AM!!! And
if you do not believe me, I will call my father, Neptune, out here
and he will turn you into pond scum.
Well, just in time, my actual father, home from
his factory job, came outside to mow the lawn. I sat there trying
to convince the boys that YES I WAS a mermaid. Next thing I know,
the older brother ran down the hill, grabbed the lawn hose and turned
it on me. (Of course I started to scream and run - forgetting that
I had a pillowcase tied to my legs). I flailed around in the giant
sand box. To make matters worse, my father had started the lawn
mower. (He was one of these people that start mowing and didn't
look out for the things around them NOR give them any warning that
he was on his way). There were a few feet between us, but the wind
was blowing just right and before I knew it, not only was I wet,
I was NOW covered in grass clippings as well. Umm yeah, really hot
in trying to impress another 6 yr old boy.
They looked at me and the 8 yr old brother said,
"Ok Mermaid, we are out of here. But if you see Kendra, tell
her we want to know if she wants to play baseball with us".
They walked away; I sat on my tire, covered in grass and water -
and decided, "Ok if you can't beat them, join them" and
with in 10 minutes was back outside and running up the hill- "Wait
for me!!" I get to play catcher!!" ...and the dorkdom
continued...
