Friday, October 8, 2021

Museum of Me: Me As a Child

Last month, Kym introduced this wonderful idea, The Museum of Me. I thought it was terrific, and the whole time I was reading her post, I kept thinking about how I could tactfully ask her if I could steal the idea. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all.) But part of her brilliance included an invitation to create our own museums, and she even sent her "exhibit schedule" so we could participate. So I'd like to welcome you to my Museum of Me. This month's exhibit is Me As a Child.

As you enter the main display hall of the museum, you'll notice a large portrait. It's a fair-haired young girl, about six years old. She's a quiet and reserved child, but her expression looks like she might be secretly quite pleased. 

It may not be clear from the first glance, but she is not a ballerina. Once you've noticed her crown and star scepter, it becomes evident that this young girl is dressed as Glinda the Good Witch.


(The resemblance is almost uncanny.)

When I was a child, my mother always asked what I wanted to be for Halloween. Halloween was never my favorite holiday, and I'm still not a fan of dressing up, but my answer every year from when I was six years old was that I wanted to be Glinda. That was the year we got a color TV, and I saw The Wizard of Oz in color. 

In 1963, VCRs and DVDs didn't exist (or we didn't have one), so watching The Wizard of Oz on TV was a special occasion since it was only broadcast once a year. The first time I saw the change from black and white to technicolor when Dorothy opens the door in Oz was truly amazing to me.  And when I saw Glinda in that gorgeous pink dress, I thought she was the most beautiful witch person ever. I truly wanted to be her, and since I was six, I thought maybe I could be. 

My mother and grandmother sewed the costume for me, and while I was initially disappointed that it didn't have a full-length skirt, I loved the satin cape, and glittery crown and star scepter they made. I'm sure that people answering their doors on Halloween thought I was a ballerina, but once I politely informed them that I was Glinda I'm sure they understood. I wore that  costume for as long as it fit, and there were many days that I remember walking home from school and changing into it. I thought Glinda was stunning, and I can still remember how beautiful that costume made me feel. Everybody should have at least one outfit in their life that makes them feel absolutely beautiful, and this was mine.

Thank you for visiting The Museum of Me. Be sure to visit Kym today for her new exhibit. The museum exhibits will be changed monthly on the second Friday of the month, so please stop by again in November for the next carefully curated installation. (The gift shop is on the right on your way out!)

18 comments:

  1. What a great story and what a beautiful costume made with so much love. I bet I would have come home from school and changed into that outfit too! I'm looking forward to your next exhibit!

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  2. I love this so much, Bonny! I knew immediately that you were Glinda (and that you were a "good-a witch" not a "bad-a witch"). You learned a great lesson very early on -- that we should all have something to wear that makes us feel absolutely beautiful -- and I hope you've found something else that fills that role since you outgrew your Glinda costume.

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  3. That expression! You were very obviously pleased with yourself, and that outfit was worth every bit of time and money they spent on it. You were precious as a child, Bonny.

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  4. you look like glinda the good witch for sure :) I remember a butterfly costume my mom sewed for me and my sister, and we had to wear winter coats over it because of the weather, I was so upset and put out.

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  5. I used to think Glinda was so glamorous! But to be honest, I really really always wanted a pair of stripey socks like the Wicked Witch - apparently I was a fan of self-striping yarn before it was a thing.

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  6. What a fabulous exhibit, Bonny! I just love you in your Glinda costume! You do look so pleased with yourself, there . . . transformed, actually, into magical Glinda. (And I will never forget the absolute magic of The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opened that door into colorful, wonderful Oz. It made me giddy! It never had that impact for my own kids . . . having grown up with all that color on the TV from the get-go.) XO

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  7. This is a great start to your Museum of Me collection! I remember the joy of watching The Wizard of Oz once a year. Now that we can watch shows like that any time I feel like we just . . . don't.

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  8. It is a beautiful witch costume. I imagine your mother figured a 'short' skirt was less tripping on Halloween and did it as a precaution. I wish they still did the Wizard of Oz once a year, I always looked forward to it. (DVDing it is not the same, lol)

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    1. You're probably right about the length of the skirt. I wish I still had some part of that costume - the cape, crown, or scepter. But I do have the photograph, I still remember how wonderful I felt as Glinda, and the skirt was long in my mind!

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  9. Thank you for sharing your beautiful costume and story! You look so sweet and pleased with yourself in that picture. We didn't have a color TV until later in the 1960s and I still remember being so amazed at the transition from black and white to color in that movie.

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    1. Thank you, Debbie! My kids never got to experience that amazement, but I hoped there were others in my genneration that would understand what I was talking about.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! That was just the reaction I was hoping for while I was writing this, but you never know ...

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  11. Watching the Wizard of Oz on TV was always an anticipated event in our house and one I have such fond memories of still to this day. I love your costume and you definitely look like Glinda. Thank you so much for sharing your story😊

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    1. Thanks so much for reading my story and taking the time to comment. I appreciate it!

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  12. Oh - you were a perfect Glinda. I had a Great Aunt and Uncle who lived on a farm. In the side yard, there was a door in a mound of earth that they used for storage. My great grandparents smoked pork in it which must have been something else. Anyway, Aunt Grace said the cellar was good shelter from a tornado. So we took to calling her Auntie Em. Somewhere over the rainbow has always been a sentimental favorite of mine.

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  13. Oh Glinda would have been so impressed had she seen you! Perfect. And now I'm thinking about Crest toothpaste. :-)

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  14. Oh, that's so wonderful! I remember how much we'd look forward to the annual airing of that movie! I don't think we got a color TV until I was about 12... and my appreciation was little changed. I always thought Glinda was beautiful, too.

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