Did I become the "It" Girl or an icon?

I was reading “How to Tell a Story” by the Moth Group. I’m on page xix of the introduction. It suddenly occurs to me that before I moved to Maryland and then joined the Military, everyone in my town and neighboring towns knew who I was. they didn’t know my name but they knew who I was or what I did. I first was everywhere, bars, businesses, coffeeshops, and just around. Once I turned 21 and could go to my friends’ performances, I started performing myself. I was out volunteering in my backyard anytime I could. I started giving out free hugs and became the free hugs girl. Once I lost my dream job, I worked in politics and managed a high-profile congressional campaign. I became known as the assistant. They knew me, they knew the campaign. They knew the campaign, they knew me. The next year rolls around and I am running my own campaign. My face was everywhere. I uncovered so many holes in the party, they no longer supported me. So much so, I was getting attention from the opposing party. In case it gets better, I was an advocate for Non alcoholic beverages. I started to use my power and got most of the restaurants in my town to add them permanently to the menus. I was leading protests, marches, being the belle of the balls if it was happening, I was there. That summer, I rode Pedicabs for a side gig. Did I need the money? Heck no. it was fun and I liked it. I was known for my red cab and red converse, and occasional costume mostly dresses. I could write a book of all the people I met, all the people I took in my pedicab, all the people I’ve hugged on the corner of George and market, the people that have shared a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and a shot.

I would be recognized for nothing and everything at the same time. Did people know my name? no. did they know my face and what I did? Yes. I think now, in my thirties, I am realizing how much of an Icon I was. people would say hello to me, they would buy me a drink, sit with me. Boys would hit on me. I had a group of friends I would drink with every Saturday like it was protocol. I slept with a lot of them too. Mostly because I could.

When I was around 10 years old, I told my mom that I was going to be famous. She asked for what? I said for being myself, she laughed and said baby you have to be famous for doing something. I told her for changing the world. In my bright green and blue colored eyes wide and gleaming.  She laughed some more. She called my father and told him. The next time we were at his house, he taught me how to play risk. Where you use your forces to gain people, land, and resources. As you can guess, I was pretty good at it. my dad showed me strategic moves and skills and then told me I would need these later in life. Ironically, he was right. Let’s swing it back about, the “it” girl. The girl that knows everyone and no one knows what she does. Does she even have a job? Does she run her own business? Does she have a full scholarship to college? No one knows. I just existed everywhere and nowhere at the same time. People do eventually find out where you work and what you do. They judge you profusely, and then they carry on like nothings the matter. How did we get here?

Big personality, big goals, big dreams. Not Texas sized, Alaskan sized. I have a smile that can and does light up an entire room, an energy felt when I enter the city. People know when I enter the room or where to find me, or they hear my voice, my laughter. They feel my absence, my sadness. Whatever I feel, the world around me feels it too. I had a friend tell me that I am a once in a lifetime woman. I learned something from pride and prejudice, a quote from Eliza Bennet, “my good opinion once gone, is gone forever” that changes with Mr. Darcy. Where her pride is resolved when his demeanor changes and true character is shown. You look at your influence small, but mighty. There is usually one in the town somebody that carries the spirit of the people that sit in the shadows. You see the person regularly and you do not know their name or how you know them, you just do. Then you become the IT person. You go to the person for any resource you need they either know the person or know someone who knows. How do they know the web? For one simple reason. They are the center of the web connecting everyone to everything. The it person travels alone usually, and does not have their own circle.

This is where I question that I am the IT girl. Because I do all of these things. I do not have my own circle. I have spokes and cogs on my wheel of life. I am the web, I am the center, I am the connected one, therefore, I am the It Girl…. I think or did I become iconic.