The Wonder Of The Woman

Three things mattered to me in 1979- my mom, my blankie, and my New Adventures of Wonder Woman. My mom and I lived alone in a two bedroom apartment and there weren’t other kids in the complex; luckily I had a cast of imaginary playmates: Marsha Brady,Cookie Monster-- pretty much the entire Sesame Street cast--, Sandy-- Sandy from Grease, not Sandy the dog from Little Orphan Annie. None of them, though, held a candle to Wonder Woman. Linda Carter as Diana Prince was equal parts stunning and strong. With her bulletproof bangles, lasso of truth, and invisible jet, no villain stood a chance, but I didn’t want to play with Diana. No, that wasn’t enough --  I wanted to be Diana.

You have to dress for the job you want, which is why Underoos were the best invention, ever. Wearing them beneath my pink T-shirt and brown corduroys felt like a delicious secret. On the surface I may have looked like an average 3 year old with a blanket, but underneath it all, I was an Amazon princess with a cloak of justice. In my Wonder Woman Underoos, I could face the forces of evil. The idea of helping others, seeking no credit, and standing up for myself without decimating my foes was firmly embedded in my subconscious. 

As each episode began, thunder crashed, horns flitted as soulful sopranos rose to a spasmodic crescendo, “Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman…” That was our cue.Together, Diana Prince and I would spin, arms outstretched, eyes locked on our target with each rotation-- transformed. All that remained was our patriotic, crime-fighting underwear. Of course, my spin may have lacked a certain grace. It wasn’t easy springing from the comfort of a calico couch, hitting my mark- livingroom center, vigorously pulling off my shirt, pants, and shoes, pausing briefly for a power pose, and finally chasing an imaginary assailant all in time with the screen. Plus, I had the added task of singing my own transformation anthem, so all things considered- I pretty much nailed it.

Photo Credit: http://pulptastic.com/15-things-know-dating-low-maintenance-girl/

For the next hour or so, I would mime every action sequence, zooming around the apartment in hot pursuit of some mad scientist or criminal mastermind. Now and again I enlisted the support of my mother on my crime fighting missions. No matter what she was doing, Mom would drop everything to climb aboard my invisible jet. Thinking of my then 26 year old mother straddling air and galloping around the living room with me still makes me chuckle. Together, we were unstoppable. If I couldn't be Wonder Woman, I wanted to be like my mom. Time proved, though, that I already lived with the real hero and I was struck with wonder. When I told my mother that she looked like Wonder Woman, I meant it as a supreme compliment. 

Looking back, I would be hard pressed to recap a single episode-- that's probably because I never sat through one in its entirety. I was so busy participating that I didn't have time to study the plot. All I knew was in each episode, there was danger, there was Diana, there was hope. Diana's transformation- her bravery, her beauty, her selflessness- those details I remember well. Those traits I do my best to internalize. As a child, that show empowered me. It, along with my mother, showed me women could be an unstoppable force. As a woman, it reminds me of the power of imagination and the necessity of heros. In 1979, for fifty minutes every Tuesday, I could make a difference in the world… and look stunning in the process. Today, I still fight the good fight, replacing the lasso of truth with lesson plans to share truth.