The evolution of what I wanted to be when I grew up

1. Butterfly - There is a photo of little me on Halloween, arms out, drawing the attached streamers into the wind. Chicago Halloweens almost always mean thick, winter coats, but at least my streamers matched the extra layers. A winter butterfly in yellow and red and green.

2. Ballerina - Except I couldn't say my 'l's, so I'd tell people, my name is Haddey and I wanna be a badderina.

3. International Animal Rights/Women's Rights Lawyer - I'm sure this shocks no one. I first became vegetarian at age three when I refused to eat anything made of animal. And I got sent to 'time out' in preschool for arguing back to the teacher that you can't say boys have to be one thing in make believe and girls something else. And I kept arguing from the time-out table.

Turns out, I'm none of these things. Though if made to choose, I'd probably pick butterfly lawyer.


(Me and Ruth Bader, we go way back.)