Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Barbie Lady Strikes Back

I was in the lobby minding my own business when I heard a dismayed cry.  "My goodness that added up fast!"  I turned around to investigate the familiar voice and hubbub to see, yes, the Barbie Lady.  An additional checker bagged a cartoonish number of Barbies while the Barbie Lady herself handed over her credit card to the main checker.  Our assistant manager also stood by, a dismayed look on his face.

We all knew it was only a matter of time.

The Barbie Lady would be back, and she will come again, returning most of her purchases.

Why does she do this to herself?  Why does she do this to us?

At least she doesn't collect cats or dogs or something else that can suffer in her care.  C.S. imagined that her house must be tiny alleyways between four foot tall stacks of Barbies.  Right now, I can see that all too clearly.

I'm explaining here because my beloved husband told me about an alternate interpretation after I wondered about the comments on this post.  I wrote:

Does anyone know a ward for Barbie Ladies?  Maybe we can hang GI Joe dolls over the door or something.

I meant the above as a pagan and didn't think about the other way 'ward,' as in a place where mental patients are held, is known.  It's actually the more common usage rather than mine, which is an object that repels something (like garlic to a vampire.)  It was supposed to be funny but on sober reconsideration it wasn't really that humorous even in its original intent.  Now, all is clear and I feel like a jerk for defending myself, even if I was defending something I hadn't meant.  Sorry!

10 comments:

Kai Jones said...

She's not doing anyone great harm. As strange behavior goes, hers is pretty benevolent. I doubt you could interest social services in her.

Kami said...

Well, she's doing herself a lot of harm, but she's not harming anyone else. She uses up a lot of resources when she comes in, usually 2-3 employees worth for a couple of hours, but that's what we're there for. We're not so busy that we can't take care of her.

Kai Jones said...

She's not cutting. She's not abusing drugs. She's not fad dieting or bulimicly ruining her health.

Kami said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kami said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kami said...

I realized that I'd double posted a comment that was based on what I believe is a misunderstanding, so it was double the embarrassment.

I altered my post in hopes that I've fixed the problem. ?

I think my blog theme has changed from my life to how much folks can embarrass themselves on the web, including myself.

C. Jane Reid said...

I took it as you meant it (loved the GI Joe line!! Especially when my brother and I use to have our GI Joes hunt down and capture the few Barbies I owned).

Of course, you and I also share part of a brain . . .

C.S. said...

I'm more worried about the estate of the Barbie woman, children and/or grand children coming back after her passing, threatening to sue because in their minds, the store's employees did nothing to stop her obsession and again, in their minds, exacerbating it. I've seen this scenario in the news too often (albeit with the case usually being thrown out of court, there are still costs involved for all affected parties).

Kai Jones said...

Thanks for clarifying, it helps me understand what you meant.

The Moody Minstrel said...

I have an aunt who was a chronic Barbie collector, but she never went quite that overboard!

I understood what you meant by "ward", but that is a funny double entendre!