I was asked an interesting question in my anonymous comments post, one that merits a full post of its own. The question was:

Why do you call yourself the invisible girl? You live a very visible life!

A few months ago, I added a "title" to my journal. My journal is now titled cellophane - the story of an invisible girl. I had always meant to explain it at some point, but I never got around to it. Now is as good a time as any.

The "invisible girl" part refers to my superpower. I have a couple of superpowers, neither of which is especially useful. One is that I am invisible. Not invisible in the "classic" sense, where I can sneak around undetected. That would actually be useful. No, my superpower is more in the "Somebody Else's Problem" sense. People, especially those who don't already know me, don't really notice me.

I get stepped on a lot. I get bumped into, knocked aside. On dance floors, people dance right through me. People back up into me. They elbow me in the head. They walk side-by-side down a hallway without leaving room for me to pass from the opposite direction. They interupt, ignore, talk too loudly to hear me. When traveling with a group, I am constantly being separated from that group as people walk in between us, not even noticing I am there. When standing in a line, I am always the spot where a pedestrian will cut through the line to get past.

These are just a few examples...they are numerous. I am small, and I do not have a flamboyant personality. I am quiet and peaceful. I tend to stick to the fringes of a gathering. I am reserved. I am invisible.

I have known about this power for awhile, and I've often mentioned it to my friends. When I saw Chicago awhile back, the song "Cellophane" struck quite a chord with me. Yes, exactly! It's me...it's someone just like me...cellophane. He shares my inconvenient superpower.

The word "cellophane" as a descriptor for me is particularly apt given that I dressed up in almost nothing but colored saran wrap at a costume party last year. (Although, come to think of it, I think I got noticed a lot more that evening than usual. Interesting. Perhaps actual cellophane is like kryptonite to the invisible-powers?)

Anyway, with two life-references, it simply had to become my new handle. When I was redesigning my journal, I put it in the title, and it has stayed. I like it there. This is the story of an invisible girl. It is as though this journal lends a voice to the unheard. Lends visibility to the unnoticed. Here, some people see me, and they listen and think about what I have to say. It's refreshing.

(Although I still picture people occasionally reading my description of an event and thinking to themselves, "Wait a minute...she was there too??")

Cellophane
Mister cellophane
Should have been my name
Mister cellophane
'cause you can look right through me
Walk right by me
And never know I'm there!