When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be Fabulous!!

Remember in third grade when you had to do that worksheet, “What I want to be when I grow up?” I can see myself like it was yesterday, sitting in my little yellow chair, pigtails, perfectly coordinated outfit (ya even at that age I had swagga). I don’t have a clue though what I put down, but knowing me…

Remember in third grade when you had to do that worksheet, “What I want to be when I grow up?” I can see myself like it was yesterday, sitting in my little yellow chair, pigtails, perfectly coordinated outfit (ya even at that age I had swagga).

I don’t have a clue though what I put down, but knowing me it was something fabulously out there. Forget nurse, librarian, doctor, lawyer, and Indian chief… no, no, no…I am sure it had everything to do with some sort of microphone, stage, or entourage! Truth be told though fast forward to present time because I might as well be sitting in that exact same yellow chair with that exact same worksheet in front of me right now! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am 36 years old and still do not know what I want to be when I grow up! GASP! HARK! SAY WHAT???

I remember in high school everybody was flustering about trying to get into colleges, taking their SATs, ACT’s, applying to all the great schools. I was most likely fluffing my hair, applying lip gloss, and worrying about my TMZ (the Melissa Zone).

I was not one to be prepped for school, my plans were not that sculpted, my mother never had any intention of me going to a higher level education, she was more concerned about my weight at that time, and unfortunately highly enforced that the way I looked, was gonna be my ticket to the universe.  I remember when they started to have us take all these like career tests – like what would we be most qualified for… ya that was a bust. I remember getting mine back and it suggested I become a rocket scientist or a funeral director – ya that was time well spent.

Then there was the time when an Army recruiter called me. “Hello Miss DeHart, this is sergeant yadda yadda yadda… how would you like to come on down and sign up for the Army?” I was laughing so hard I could barely reply, “Sir, do you have any idea who you are speaking with?” If you are looking for your next GI Jane not only are you barking up the wrong tree… you are completely in the wrong “friggin” forest!

I knew from a small age though, I wanted to be somebody important… not so much President of the United States important, more like Julia Roberts important.

Nowadays it kind of frustrates me though how people become famous for being nobody. I mean all you need is a sex tape and a great ass and all of a sudden you are raking in the millions. What happened to talent? What happened to actually contributing something to society and having talent to show for your bank statement, BMW’s, and BLING!?!

Well I don’t know, but I see all these friends of mine who have become something, they went to college, they got their acts together, they did what they were supposed to do. Take my little sister… she went to nursing school, made great grades, and now she makes more money in one week then I did in an entire year.

I guess I just never really grew up, and am still that little girl standing in front of the mirror holding my hairbrush and practicing the phrase “I would like to thank the academy”

Now I gotta hand it to myself, I am just a very small town girl, from a very small town, who knew I was destined for bigger and better things. We all have a path, a story, a journey. My destiny has not really been an easy fit… I kinda have done things the hard way. I got myself to college, only because I was bored one day and decided it would be cool to do. I still had no clue what I wanted to be, but I knew it had to be something involving a camera and me in front of it, so I went into Broadcasting.

I was not satisfied with the whole 4 year plan, so I marched into the local ABC station and later the CBS one (worked for both) and told them I was their girl. Oh my did I have to do my grunt work though… I pulled cable, I ran scripts, I mopped the sweat of those anchors faces in between segments… oh ya… it was tough!

Tough eventually paid off for me though, but not without a price… I actually went out every weekend and shot my own stuff, and then me and my homie, Barry (fellow awesome intern) and I would go back and edit it all in our spare time. One day the president (love ya Miss Placier) of the station asked to see my stuff and the next thing you know I am on the weekend edition! SCORE!!

Of course my life has taken all kinds of twists and turns since then, and I am once again kind of out there, but for the oddest reason… I got really, really sick, and got really, really better, and some people noticed that.

Now, I am 36 years old with a resume that includes being a waitress, hostess, television reporter, and ironically famous anorexic that almost died, and then famous anorexic that got better.

I may not have any PhD’s but I’d say that because of the journey I have had, it has made me a pretty well rounded person

People sometimes ask me what I have a degree in, and I simply tell them… I had an eating disorder for 17 years… that’s my effing degree.

I in a million years would have never guessed that I would be working at an Eating Disorder Treatment Center like Rader Programs.  I in a million years would have never guessed that somebody out there would have said… “Hey this girl is talented at something besides being sick… let’s offer her a job!”

I am so, so proud that I get to work were I work. I guess that little girl finally figured out what she wants to be… and that is quite honestly a mentor, an inspiration, and somebody who offers the world some hope, oh ya and of course Fabulous…always wanted to be Fabulous and I seriously think I have got that part down… lol!