Ah, it has been awhile. I have had several requests to update this dear blog and I admit I am surprised. I figured I had faded into obscurity. Cheers for all of you reminding me why I started this damn thing.

Where to start? I believe a tale of sweet irony is a wonderful beginning. I have had the pleasure of getting to know a very special child in recent months. My roommates daughter to be exact. She is an amazing child, truly. Rambunctious, spunky, intelligent and completely out of control. My first weekend baby-sitting her made me wish to call my parents and apologize profusely for everything I ever put them through.

It’s an amazing thing, spending time with children. I see my own childhood rearing up to slap me in the face every time I’m jumped on, poked, prodded or begged. And I’m nothing but an innocent bystander. I ask you, am I really parent material? I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see. No matter how irritated I become I can never be angry, because she is simply being what she is twelve. How can I be angry at someone for being what they are? I can’t.

I had a particularly fun time buying her comic books the other day. I’m always happy to create another addict. The world is decidedly short of smart, female comic book readers so it gives me great pleasure to swell the ranks just a little bit.

I am back on my comic book kick you see. With the release of Spider Man 2 (fabulous movie) and my re-entry in the world of X-Men I am fully immersed in the world of superheroes once again. So much so, in fact, that my dear roommate and I have brainstormed the idea about writing our own story. What idea have we brainstormed you ask? Well, let me tell you. I’m not sure we could ever sell it, or that anyone would ever want to buy it, but I would really like to write a story about and an ugly heroine. A super-powered, butt-kicking, smart, strong, intelligent, fully capable, ugly heroine.

There is no movie, book or comic book that addresses how it is to be ugly in this world. What it would be like to save the lives of person after person that ignores you on the street and laughs at you behind your back or simply doesn’t see you. Spider Man addresses it to a point. Peter Parker is a dork, after all. But even him, like all other characters, becomes handsome (or beautiful) before the story is over. Unattractive characters are typically comic relief or a foil for the lead character to grow. If they are the leads themselves they progress through some physical change which leaves them attractive when all is said and done. What about a woman that isn’t pretty and isn’t ever going to be pretty? What about a woman that saves the world on a bi-weekly basis but can’t get a date for Saturday night? She’s funny, witty, strong, and fun but who really wants to kiss her? What about her story?

So I think I might try to tell that because all women, pretty or ugly have an ugly girl inside them. Why else would female after female sit around a table and bitch about her weight or her face or her boobs? A precious few of us have accepted the ugly girl inside. And maybe none of us have accepted her fully.

That’s the story I want to tell. I just hope I have the talent to do it.