On Tuesday night, I went on a second date
dressed as
Wonder Woman.
I know...right?!
The back story: We tried to get together and then he was making cracks via email about how busy I am and then he asked if I was out saving the world, or something like that.
He made a joke about my invisible airplane. His last comment to me before we met was "Don't forget your cape!"
And like someone shoving me in the chest, I reacted. I thought "I'm gonna wear my Wonder Woman costume."
Wonder Woman
I bought the outfit in 2006 one month after Art was diagnosed with cancer during his first battle.
I wanted to be a queen that year until Langston, then age 9, pointed out the Wonder Woman costume and said "Mom, you should be this!" I laughed as I paid for it at the register.
Art almost fell over when I met him at the door after he was being escorted home from a chemo treatment.
My friends thought it was the best costume .... EVER.
And then I put it way.
And then, three years later Art died.
So on Tuesday, I'm sitting outside a wine bar, in my car, dressed as a blonde Wonder Woman. And I'm on the phone talking to a widow friend of mine.
"This is stupid." I say.
"No it's not Kim. It's who you are. You are Wonder Woman!"
I take it in.
I feel my superpower rising.
She is right.
I am Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman is back, I think.
Wonder Woman with the faults that do not make her weak but actually make her strong.
Wonder Woman is real.
Wonder Woman has been who I have been all this time, since the moment he was diagnosed to this moment, one year and 8 months after his death.
I realize Wonder Woman is back.
I wear it to meet this guy who is laughing so hard he can't talk for a moment.
I stand there laughing too because he enjoys the joke so much, because I had the balls to say "Fuck it" again and show up in a costume for a second date.
The next day I am laughing because he was written out the lyrics to the Wonder Woman theme song and sent them to me and he asked me to accompany him to a Christmas party.
He likes Wonder Woman.
The costume will not go back in the Halloween box.
It will stay with me, in my closet so that
I can remember
that Art's death
has brought back
Wonder Woman.
It's nice to see her again.
You go! I can relate... I want to do some crazy stuff too! Because after you've been through what we've been through... your NOT afraid of anything. Whats the worst thing that could happen... oh yeah, that already happened!! So rock that wonder woman suit! Your amazing!!
ReplyDeleteLove it so much that I don't have words .....
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kim.
:)
Freaking badass!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! It's stuff like this that makes you my favorite widow blogger. I am impressed. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI. Love. It! Oh my goodness - how completely wonderful! Thank you for continued inspiration to just be me!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I think it is so true that anyone who has gone through this is Wonder Woman or man! My husband was the comedian of our realtionship- I really had to work at it, but now I find myself being un afraid to do something that might be funny or a flop. I no longer worry about it as you say. I had a life size cutout of my husband made and brought him to our annual vacation, so people would not tip toe around the subject and our xmas card reads - guess who is back for xmas- not Santa and then you open the card and there is a picture of myself, my daughters,our cat and my huband's cutout wearing a Santa hat. It reads inside take that happy xmas cards! I did only send it to people who would laugh at the joke. Before my husbands death I would have never had done that!
ReplyDeleteWow, Kim, you are an inspiration. Reading this made me laugh and cheer at your audacity and then I couldn't read fast enough to see 'his' reaction. When I read it, I almost cried. It is the reaction you deserve - someone who can appreciate your spontaneous, brave being. Go girl!
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