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Chloe Fisher

Professor Amyett

ENGL-1301-24215

5 October 2023

One Doll Influenced It All

My grandparents were visiting from Canada because I was getting a new baby sister. We

hadn’t lived in America long (Dallas to be exact), but I’d been here long enough to know they

were taking me to the “good” Walmart on Coit…they had the best toy section. Little did I know

that this trip to Walmart would forever change me, not because I was there to pick out a toy to

distract me from my inevitable fate of no longer being an only child, but because here I would

meet the 12-inch plastic icon that would foster my curious nature. As I bounded excitedly to the

toys, I saw her on the end cap: it was Barbie. Not just any Barbie- “Dolphin Trainer Seaworld

Barbie.” She wore a pink sparkling wetsuit, fanny pack, and a whistle; her hair and makeup were

on point as she stood alongside her baby dolphin, Shamu, and sea lion; and she was perfection in

a box.

Dolphin Trainer Barbie and I spent hours outside in the pool together under the hot Texas

sun, dreaming of what I might become. Under the water was the one place where the noise of the

world was drowned out and the stillness and quiet left me alone with my thoughts. It was here

that my imagination could run wild. With each additional milestone of my life, whether it was a

reward or a birthday gift, Barbie was my go-to. I would continue to add to my collection, with

each new doll sparking my curiosity to be a pilot, engineer, teacher, architect, Olympic

snowboarder, and competitive swimmer! Barbie ignited my creativity. I learned to sew and

crochet to expand her wardrobe on a budget, while testing my engineering and architecture skills
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as I built homes and furniture for her out of Lego and discarded cardboard boxes. Barbie was my

muse. This 12-inch plastic Dolphin Trainer, my original Barbie, now with matted hair from hours

in the chlorinated pool water and missing her hand and forearm that my dog had chewed off, had

become my tiny life coach. Still, with her faded wetsuit and arm bandaged with Kleenex and

Scotch tape to hide her mangled arm (an occupational hazard I told myself), she was still Barbie.

Like her, I learned that I could bend and not be broken and that often in life, flexibility is

paramount.

After watching the newly released Barbie movie, my memories were sparked once again

and I was able to truly see how influential one doll can be. Like the Barbies I collected, I was

inspired to live adventurously, be studious, and pursue athletics. With a little hard work and

dedication, I could accomplish anything, all while being kind and a true friend to others. I’ve

kept my well-loved and weathered Dolphin Trainer Barbie, and after all of these years, I pulled

her out as I approach this new season of my life. For the time, she sits proudly on my shelf as a

reminder of how far I’ve come and how far I still need to go. She sits alongside my state

championship ring, numerous swim medals, and my pilot logbook, perched between a picture of

me snowboarding in the Canadian Rockies and a framed copy of my first paycheck from my

engineering internship. At 17, the world is my oyster, and I shouldn’t know exactly where I

might land. To quote Barbie, “True courage is pursuing your dreams, even when everyone else

says it's impossible.” As I continue to pursue my dreams and accomplish new things, I can’t wait

to inspire future generations and become exactly who I was meant to be. It's perfectly normal not

to have everything figured out when you are 8 or even 18, but as long as you have imagination,

work hard, and continue to dream big, anything is possible.