When I was about 10 years old I was sitting on the curb with some neighborhood girls and we were planning our lives- we decided right then and there who we would marry, where we would live and what sort of jobs we were going to have when we grew up.

Most of what I was hearing involved big houses and jobs as stewardesses or teachers and marriages to actors and the Osmond Brothers.

I remember my friend Karen sort of flinched and said, ” What about you Anita?”

I took a deep breath and I was off and running because like a lot of girls that age I was planning  on ” one day “.

I said I was going to be a writer like ” The Twilight Zone Guy ” and then I would become fighter pilot and then after I got done with that I was going to be a Captain, like Captain Kirk,  and be the first woman to land  a spaceship on Mars.

I  told my friends I expected to discover real aliens on ‘ faraway planets ‘ and after I died I was going to be buried on Titan in a cemetery they’d have there one day for Space Explorers like me.

And then I said I never wanted to get married.

I  wanted to live in a cabin in the mountains with some pet wolves and I wanted a salt water aquarium full of sea horses.

My friends stared at me with their mouths hanging open.

Karen grabbed Melody, Melody yanked on Shelly’s arm and they moved  a few feet away from me whispering to to each other and giving me horrified looks the entire time.

When they were done Shelly stomped up to me and I nearly dove into the street straight in front of an on coming car because I thought she was going to kick me

I swear to this day she was almost crying. ” That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I’m telling your Mom…everyone is right- you are a weirdo!  Of COURSE   you’re going to get married!”