I have a nickname....?

Perception is a funny thing.

At the birthday party this weekend, I discovered that I have been given a nickname. It's not a bad one, by any stretch - but it sort of took me by surprise. The background info is this is by a newer friend, someone I like a lot and who is the Mom to one of my son's best friends. We met when the boys were in kindergarten. Nice person, great family - I really enjoy being around her and her family/friends. All very nice and warm...

I was leaving the party, and had already packed my daughter up in my SUV and was heading back into the yard to get my son. As I walked into the garage, I saw my girlfriend's sister in law "D" holding my girlfriend's daughter who's going to be 4. As I walked by, I heard the little girl say something about Hannah Montana to me. So I walked back and said "Oh, you like Hannah Montana? She's great, isn't she?" And "D" said "no, she said YOU look like Hannah Montana", so I laughed and said "oh, ya right -- it's the hair. I look nothing like her, but to little kids the hair makes them think of her" and so "D" said " You know that's "T's" mommy" and the little girl said "she looks like Hannah Montana though"...So I laughed and said " so funny, it's just the hair..." So "D" said "Well, it's not a bad thing to be thought of looking like a 17 year old girl!". So I laughed and said "sure, true enough, I'll take it!"

So I was walking back to my truck w/ my son, when "D" said to her husband as I was leaving and saying my final goodbyes -- "Guess what! Barbie has a new nickname -- Hannah Montana". And I looked at her and said "are you talking about me?" and she said "yes" and so I kind of laughed and thought that she didn't remember my name, and thought it was Barbie. Like in Barbara. So I got a little quiet and said to her, "Oh, I’m sorry -- my name is Rebecca, not Barbie" and she laughed and said "no, we call you Barbie". So immediately I turned bright red and said " you do? Who does?" To which she replied "we all do. You didn't know that?!?!". Now I'm beet red, embarrassed but flattered because clearly I didn’t know this tidbit of information. So my girlfriend comes over and tries to explain that when she's referencing me to her friends since I'd only met them once or twice - that was the way they remembered me. As like a Barbie doll. Hence the nickname Barbie.

It's funny, because the way it all came out was sort of awkward, but I'll take the compliment. I think there are far worse things to be called than Barbie, and if I recall not too long ago I wrote a post about why Barbie is living la dolce vita. So while I'm not truly a Barbie doll, to be referenced as such in this day in age, in my thirty-something years -- is definitely a nickname that I'll readily and gladly accept.