I am chatting with a friend from high school.

“I just read all your stuff and I don’t have any tissues near me so I’m drowning in tears,” he says.

Of course he’s joking (well maybe not entirely) and follows up with a, “I’ve stopped crying now so I owe you an hour at $150.”

I hit the keyboard running. Happy that my shared experiences are reaching others especially since even this overly open girl feels somewhat overexposed.

“Life has a weird way of taking you in a direction that you may not have wanted to go,” I say.

Duke is actually one of the lucky ones. He’s happy in his relationship. Though that doesn’t make him immune to having other loved ones experiencing the growing pains of life nor does it release him from an earlier pain.

“When we were younger it felt like we were moving in the direction that we wanted,” I say. “Now it feels that we are anything, but in control of that direction,” I answer wistfully.

The keyboard is momentarily silent.

“Hey you just gave me one of my new column entries,” I say.

“What’s my name in the column?” he jokes.

Duke is on to me changing the names to protect the innocent in my column. After all, I am willing to talk about what most would prefer not to share.

How do we reconcile our young promises with our adult truths?

“Another belief of mine,” Writer Margaret Atwood, in Cat’s Eye, “That everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.”

Perhaps that’s why I like to refer to myself as, “Divorce Barbie.” It’s not only because I’ve always wanted to be blonde (honestly is it too much to ask…..just for a few months). There’s an implied hint of youth (aka, Barbie) converging with my adult reality.

The truth be told, Barbie’s life was actually quite complicated……..”Life in the Dreamhouse,” was not so dreamy. Turns out, Ken and Barbie broke up for a while.

I thought my life would be, “Barbie:  Life in the Dreamhouse,”  and I’d live life as a blonde only it wasn’t meant to be.

My attention turns back to the keyboard as my computer dings with a new e-mail.

I open the link and peruse the photographers portfolio.

There among portraits and families is a beautiful, high school graduate.

With an obvious personal connection, the photographer writes a loving message wishing her young babysitter the best in life’s next corridor. “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Did you know that the original Barbie was introduced in both blonde AND brunette?

We all find all our unique direction even if we have to change our hair color a few times along the way.