 |
I don’t think my parents were quite ready for the ultra-independent, Madonna loving, hot pink wearing girl that I became. Pictures from age five show me as a poster child of the eighties – my first day of kindergarten I wore teal pants, rolled up just right, and gray dress shoes with a slight heel. But I really made the outfit mine with a hot pink shirt, a teal belt cinched at the waist and with the dangly earrings and crocheted hair band, I must have looked like a miniature Madonna.
At five years old, my 'posh styling’ was influenced by my two pop culture idols: the material girl, and Stacy. Six years older than me, I thought she was the coolest person on the planet. I wanted her long wavy hair, I wanted her super cool clothes and jewelry - I even wanted her name. When she fell off the swing set and broke her arm, I wanted a cast too. When I ran over to play I would try to run like her, make my hair swing like hers.
Six years is a big difference in age. And yet, six years is nothing. To me, Stacy's house was the best house with all the best things; even the toys Mom wouldn’t buy me. And sometimes Stacy would even let me take them! Her basement was like my own personal toy store. The Barbie Beach Party Pool, My Little Pony dolls and the pretend make-up kit were great but my favorite was the Barbie spa. I remember the smell of her house, her birthday parties with all the big kids, her cute play house that looked like it came out of a story book, her back yard that had trees everywhere and good places to hid and play, and, of course, boyfriends. It was the best place I could be.
Of course, hanging around Stacy influenced my outlook and especially my actions. I have always been independent - dressing myself at age two - but by the time I was five I was acting like a pre-teen. Only the most fashionable clothes were good enough (often compliments of Stacy’s closet of hand-me-downs). Out of all of my trendy clothes, I had a favorite sweater that I sneaked to school everyday. It was hot pink (of course), and had different electric colored bears on it. So I would take it to school and change in the bathroom until one day, I strutted around the corner, and there she was, Mom! It probably didn’t help that I was going home in clothes different to those I had left the house in that morning! Even still, I thought that I was untouchable.
Elana arrived when I was six years old. Prior to her, it had just been Adam and I, and we have always gotten along. I was not happy when she entered the picture. I was the favorite; the cutest ‘til Elana came along and stole my spotlight. And from there sparked a rocky relationship that would last for years to come. Everyday I would make her cry, tormenting her, trying to make her leave me alone. In retrospect, I can't help but wonder: did Stacy ever try to get rid of me?
Elana has always somehow copied what I do. As she grew older, it became a lot more noticeable. I really started to see a miniature me walking around. Even my friends began to comment, “Elana looks like a miniature you! She’s your height, blue eyes, brown hair!” And now she was she starting to look like a mini version of me; she was now talking and dressing like me as well.
She is very mature for her age. I guess that it helps to have an older mentor to shape you into a cool and mature young girl. My Mom is always talking about how whenever I start telling a story, or someone else talks about me, Elana falls silent, mentally taking notes. As my Mom says, “You know, when Elana is sitting there and not saying anything, she is hanging on to every word.” She picks up on lots of little things.
Stacy was my favorite person during childhood and I remained hers up until she began junior high. But as Stacy was leaving my life slowly, Elana was quickly entering it. When I started working at the same country club as Stacy and rediscovered her, now my peer, I was instantly reminded of Elana. “Oh, my god”, I thought, “Elana and I have grown so much. Elana and I are just like Stacy and I!”
Today Elana’s voice mail sounds just like mine. She has clothes in her closet that are
(or rather, were) mine. But she has also developed into her own self, with just a flare of me in her. And now that she is sixteen, she isn’t so miniature anymore. She could be
my twin. But just as I saw Stacy after years and she accepted me as her equal the same has happened with Elana and I.
It goes to show how mentor relationships grow. I never dreamed that I would be able to get along with Elana. Being friends was out of the question. But now she is one of the closest people to me. This same development happened with Stacy and I. Neither Stacy nor I ever dreamed we’d some day be hanging out in the local bar, ‘Bulls’, joking about sex! Now that I have played the mentor, I can understand why Stacy might have enjoyed hanging out with me. It really is kind of nice to have someone around who thinks the world of you, and almost wants to be you. I never understood before why Elana was always in my shadow, always tagging along and always right behind me. But I have come to realize that Elana looks up to me as I once looked up to Stacy.
Just like I grew out of Stacy’s shadow, Elana is moving out of mine. Elana is my sister and my equal. She is mature, independent, creative - a girl with a license to drive.
Bio: Julie is the eldest of three and the child of two wonderful and supportive parents. From a small rural area in Western Pennsylvania, she graduated from Indiana University, PA, in May 2003. A political science major, Julie is considering attending Law school in 2004. At present, she is interning with the Congressional Committee of Resources. She is happy in her new environment and awaits new and exciting experiences. Julie also has a minor in English.
|
|
