Worrrrd Up!

I walked into the office the other day to the question: “How tall are you?” I replied: “Between 5-7 and 5-8.” Apparently that was “Perfect!”

The reason my colleague asked is because she was trying to find a female to fill the costume of WordGirl. WordGirl is a PBS animated series that chronicles the superhero adventures of a 5th grade girl who fights crime with the power of vocabulary! From the PBS website: “Only a superhero like WordGirl, endowed with power punches and dictionary strength, can put the word-wrenching scoundrels back in their place proving once again that crime doesn’t pay … but knowing the right word for the right moment is priceless.” And this experience was certainly priceless.

I transformed into my secret identity for Children’s Day — the kick-off of Arts Fest. I had a “handler” to guide me from my changing room to the WPSU tent where I greeted kids with high fives and thumbs up. A few wondered why I didn’t bring my monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face. Others wanted to know if I was “real” and “Why can’t you talk?” A few commented on my huge head and cartoon cape. I gave hugs and posed for pictures and tried not to scare the youngest members of the crowd.

All in all, it was a fantastic time. And I’ve heard it’s an easier gig than the stuffed suit of Clifford the Big Red Dog.