Sunday, February 19, 2012

Wonder Woman


    by Shinazy


Bummer . . . I thought I was Wonder Woman.

I come from a long line of Wonder Women, so of course I have this picture of myself.
The first Wonder Woman in my family was my great, great, grandmother, Julie Robinet.  As a single-young gal, she sailed to San Francisco from France.  She spoke no English; she knew no one.  She only knew there was opportunity in the post gold-rush-boom town and she was going to seize it.  A few years later, she was able to purchase acreage just outside the city limits.
Her daughters were born on that property.  As young adults, they built – hammered and nailed -- a two-story Craftsman style home.  They were two French lady-farmers living among Portuguese ranchers.  One of the daughters, my great-grandmother Julia Chaine, was a single parent, raising two daughters because she had banished their rowdy Irish father.  She instilled in her girls the same Wonder Woman spirit she gained from her mom.
Pauline (Gigs) Shinazy, the eldest daughter, my grandmother, was a Renaissance Wonder Woman.  She knew she was invincible and could conquer anything she encountered.  She was an accomplished painter until my father accidentally burned down her studio.  So, instead of crying she became a Studio Potter, making all the family’s dishes and vases until her hands worn out.  She made my poodle skirts from drapery material – thank you, Scarlet O’Hara.  Gigs made jewelry, faceted gems, grew prize-winning dahlias, canned fruit, camped in the desert, rode horses.  She explored various religions as they entered the mainstream.  When she converted to Judaism, she went to Israel during the Six-Day War and broke her arm taking pictures of Russian tanks that “…weren’t there!”  
Like her mother told her, she told me, “You can do anything, be any one.”  So, I decided that I, too, would be a Wonder Woman.
But, unlike the comics, sometimes Wonder Woman needs to reassess her conquering strategy. 
Can I really continue to fight evil forces, improve my Amazonian martial arts skills, be a supportive partner, run a business, hold my breath in Space, volunteer, write for BOBB, train for my last marathon, stop bullets with my bracelets, climb Half Dome, learn to scuba…?
Yes, Wonder Women are endowed with extraordinary strength, speed, and stamina but . . .   
Yesterday, this WW had to make a decision -- something had to be postponed.  It was a hard choice and I’m still a bit sad, but it was the right choice to make.  And I know I’ll feel better, soon.
Ok, I’ll be satisfied to be wonder woman . . . for a while.  Hey, I think it’s time for my Lasso of Truth lesson.

photo by rdeetz


10 comments:

  1. Every woman needs a wonder women in her family to help her realize not only her potential but also to learn from example the ability to survive what comes their way. You Shinazy has that in g'grandma Julie. Now I want to look back and see who was that person in my family.

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    1. Bobbi, Yes, the woman in my family history were inspiring. For your family, YOU can be that woman !!

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  2. What an image! LOVE it! Thanks! I enjoy your blog.
    ~ Jessica D.

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    1. I agree, she looks like she just jumped from the swing and she is feelin' the power of being Wonder Woman!

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  3. Great historical recounting, Shinazy! This makes me feel energized to do what I want to do and what I know I can do :-) ~ Julie T.

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    1. Our family's stories partly make us who we are. And, Julie, my WW relatives would be proud of us go-get-'em gals.

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  4. Great post! You ARE a Wonder Woman....takes
    superhumanstrength for some of us women to acknowledge that we cannot do it all! (Postpone is not "never".)You don't see a barrier, you just see a lack of hours in the day at the moment!

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    1. Jenny,

      You are so Right! As a southern Wonder Women once said, "... tomorrow is another day."

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  5. "Loved it! My "wonder woman" was my grandmother, Bella. She inspired me with her wonderful stories, hearty laugh, and sometimes, dirty jokes! I hope to be just as good a role model to my grandchild (due in August)... and I can't wait!!"
    ~ Joy Grude

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  6. Joy, We have many stories from our grandmothers that we get to tell the next generation. I'm sure your in a few years your grandchild will be sitting at your kitchen table.

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