Have You Seen My Invisible Plane?

I have a love affair with all things Wonder Woman. Maybe it's because I grew up watching Lynda Carter swoop in and save the day wearing tall red boots and a patriotic strapless leotard. She looked amazing with her perfectly coiffed hair and her gold boomerang tiara. To me, she was fierce and beautiful all at once.  I, like so many others, wanted to grow up to be Wonder Woman (and a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader--clearly I was raised by a pack of feminists).

For my birthday, my friend, Leslie, gave me a Wonder Woman apron. It was my favorite gift and let me just confess, when I wear it, it goes straight to my head. The boys all had the same reaction the first time they saw me wearing it....it was a look of shock and horror rounded out with a gasp. I often tell them that I want to wear it when I go running through the neighborhood because surely, it will only make me faster. I think they lie awake some nights worried that one day at school a friend will say, "Hey...was that your mom in the Wonder Woman apron that I saw running around the lake yesterday?"

Several years ago, one of my boys was given a set of Justice League action figures that contained a Wonder Woman. The boys didn't want her because they considered her to be a "girl toy,"  and this was in the days before our sweet Vivie came along so they gave Wonder Woman to me. I carried her around in my purse for years. She was a fun little reminder of my childhood plus she was a gift from my little guys. Somehow, somewhere, I lost my little Wonder Woman and I have been on the lookout for another one ever since. Finally, a few weeks ago, I spotted one in a funky little local candy store. I knew I had to have her even though she is different than the last one I had. She isn't really small enough to carry in my purse so for the time being, she rides shotgun in the cup holder of The Big Pearl. My new Wonder Woman isn't quite like Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman. In fact, she looks a little more vintage than I would prefer but hey, so do I these days! Nonetheless, she is absolutely cool.

So a couple of weeks ago, Wonder Woman and I were out on the town...just the two of us...running some errands and we...er...I mean I...I decided to hit the drive-thru of a fast food place to grab us...er...me a salad for lunch. The drive-thru line was long and it was the peak lunch rush hour so there were two college age guys standing outside taking people's orders to help move the line along. When it was my turn, one of the young guys popped his head into my window and asked how he could help me but before I could even place my order, he spotted my gal pal Wonder Woman and he asked, "Is that you? Are you Wonder Woman?" 

Without skipping a beat, I replied, "As a matter of fact, I am Wonder Woman. She is my alter ego." Well, this apparently made his day because he was quite excited to know that he had just met the real Wonder Woman. 

Just as he was beginning to jump up and down, his co-worker came over and asked me if everything was okay but before I could answer, my first friend said, "DUDE! She is Wonder Woman!! I saw her action figure and asked if it was her and she said YES!" 

The other guy quickly chastised him for asking me that and said, "DUDE! You can't ask Wonder Woman to reveal her identity. It's supposed to be a secret. Now she is going to have to shank you!"

Then guy number 1 said, "No, man. I thought I could join forces with her. I want to be a superhero, too. I think I could be like Robin or something."

Guy number 2 then said, "No, man. You need to set your sights higher. You could be The Flash and I could be Batman!"

Guy number 1 was so stoked at the thought of this that he stopped everything and looked at his friend and said, "Wow. Do you really think that I could be The Flash?! That is so cool, man."

They hugged and bumped each other's chest, finished taking my order, and then the three of us parted ways...all of us superheroes...all of us laughing and smiling... the two of them clearly in the early stages of a bromance...and me thinking, "Yep, I did grow up to be Wonder Woman and that kid knows it even if no one else does."