Lisa

Lisa, age 6

Long Island, NY (1968)

I grew up with 2 older brothers and was a tomboy (which was a word that adults used pejoratively against me at the time). There was no way I would wear a dress; though my poor mom did try. I played sports and "boy's" games. I was the only girl that the boys let play soccer with in 2nd grade recreation.

"Lisa and Scotty"

I had male and female friends. I never had a doll. From this photo you can see that I had a doll carriage, but I pushed my dog Scotty around it, not any dolls. I'm sure my parents bought it for me with the hope that I would use it for dolls, not the dog. Oh well, nice try.

I look at this photo now with a combination of A-ha! (short boyish haircut, tank top, boys' corduroys, blue sneakers, and a dog rather than doll in the carriage), and the understanding that I must have done what I had to do with what I was given. Mom gives you a doll carriage; improvise.

I think I realized something was up when I was 4 years old and was coaxed by my brothers to wrestle a 3 year old female friend on the neighbor's lawn, much to my friend's chagrin. She was horrified; it seems relatively normal to me.

I grew up having crushes on my brothers' girlfriends, but knew I should never say anything.

Lisa's first, famous-person same sex crushes:

Eartha Kitt (Catwoman on "Batman"),
Ali MacGraw ("Love Story"), & Aliza Kashi (Israeli singer)

And I identified with Kristy McNichol (as Buddy on "Family")
and Tatum O'Neal, in "Paper Moon"
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