Personal Narrative: Where Are Your Barbies

Where Are Your Barbies?
The King cried over the land as his beautiful daughter, the Princess,was being carried away against her will. Knights triumphantly rode after her but even the King knew the odds of her return. Lord Fredrickson had made many visits to the castle requesting the King’s daughter hand in marriage but the answer was always, ”No!” The Princess would resist each time due to her strong blood line. Lord Fredrickson grew more determined to make the Princess his wife with each refusal. After seven declines Lord Fredrickson was left with no other option than to kidnap the Princess. She fought with all her might but three henchmen were too much for the Princess. Her father’s Knights were her only hope of being saved from Lord Fredrickson.

It had been months since I had cast my Barbies in a play. Their faces looked back at me with their familiar smiles. My mom had requested days ago that I organize the playroom and sort through the Barbie jungle. Over the years I had collected numerous Barbie characters and accessories and had ventured to unknown parts of the globe through their playacting. I was procrastinating on my Mom’s request because this meant my childhood was moving in another direction. As I hesitantly stack each Barbie away I reminisce about the years of entertainment, comfort, and creativity these dolls have provided. In the bottom of the bin, I uncover Rapunzel. My eyes swell with tears as my heart begins to pound. I am transported back to when I was six-years-old and she was my favorite Barbie. Her hair is in rats, her beautiful gown is tattered but her familiar smile is still visible. Over the years Rapunzel played a beautiful Princess, a new high school student trying to adjust, and a villain. I turned her around and pressed the hidden button to listen to her sing one last time. With tears streaming down my face and memories dancing in my head I placed Rapunzel in the storage bin for safe keeping. I didn 't think that putting away this part of my life would be so sad. As the last bin lid was sealed it was the final curtain for all my characters. Blurry eyed I assisted my Mom in carrying each bin to storage awaiting their next curtain call with my future generation. I slowly turned off the lights just as David Letterman did on his last show and thought to myself...What would my childhood have been without Barbies? I took the simple love for The Princess and the Pamper and Rapunzel and expanded my world through Barbies. My style and format of play changed over the years but my love for Barbies never faltered. I love them and the role they played in my life to this day and one day hope to carry on