I had a very vivid dream about Cathy Rigby two nights ago.
Who the heck is Cathy Rigby?
I know, right?!
In my dream, I didn’t know her name, but I totally recognized her as a famous gymnast who used to be on maxi pad commercials when I was a kid. In my dream, she was wearing her signature white leotard with patriotic racing stripes around the neck and arms, and these weird gymnastic socks we used to call “peds” when I took “tumbling classes” back in the day.
In my dream, she wasn’t trying to get me to buy any feminine protection products; she was trying to help me crack my elbow by teaching me how to swing around the uneven bars. She kept demonstrating the technique over and over again while I stood under the bars. I was hoping if I just hung from the lowest bar that my elbow would pop, and I’d find some relief, but this little
When I woke up from my incredibly garbled dream, I racked my brain so hard to figure out the name of this very helpful gymnast. Then I Googled “gymnast maxi pads” and the pixie-like girl from my dream was right there, smiling back at me with a giant bag of Stayfree Maxi Pads resting on her tiny knee. And her name was Cathy Rigby.
What a weird dream…
But for the past couple of days, I’ve been thinking about good old Cathy Rigby. She was a very accomplished gymnast in the late 60’s, and she went on to do more than just pitch famine protection products on TV and in magazines. (Although that is honestly the only thing I remember about this darling girl.)
Apparently, Cathy Rigby had a long-time stage role as Peter Pan, and according to her Wikipedia page, she has been a very inspiring speaker who has talked to audiences of women about eating disorders and other body-image related issues. What a great and genuinely helpful person!
When you pick up the career arch of someone else’s life, you don’t always get to start at the beginning — which is the case with Cathy and me. Sometimes you start in the middle of the person’s path — after he or she has made specific choices that alter the trajectory of his or her career. And as a result, you only get a narrow slice of everything the person is, and not very much about of who they’ve become to get to where the are…
I had to wonder if Cathy would be bummed that I only remember her super awkward maxi pad advertisements, or if she would be proud to know that she made an impression on me at all? She seems so convicted about the Stayfree products in her many ads that I re-watched on YouTube — which I’m sure is the way I would be if I were lucky enough to be a Tide brand ambassador! And I’m sure Cathy made good money pitching such an awkward product to the masses — at least I hope she did!
But all of this got me to thinking about the idea of a career legacy.
I’m restarting my career after a major stall out, and so I really do feel like I’m pretty much at square one these days. Who I used to be is not who I am anymore, and even though my past still matters, I don’t recognize myself the way I used to. And, I don’t imagine anyone who knew me back when I first started can see me the way I see myself right now. In fact, every single day, I seem to be realizing for the first time that I’m still changing and evolving into someone I don’t know very well yet either.
This blog is an asset I’m curating, and I’m using it to teach myself as much as I am using it to connect with others. It’s a starting point in my process, and I have no idea where it will ultimately lead me. I’m just “being me” out in the open, and I’m sharing things that happen to me, around me, and inside of me, with the hope that all of my content will contribute good things in this noisy and very weird world of ours.
I really have to thank Cathy Rigby — for her concern for my messed up elbow in my dream, but also for her contributions to in this world. She is credited with popularizing the sport of gymnastics in the 1968 Olympics, and she sure has done a lot to give women the kind of “confidence they can count on.” I can only hope that I find my way in this world the way she did! In fact, I already belive I will. I’m in this for the long haul, and I’m on my way somewhere — of that, I’m certain. Thankfully, Cathy already covered the famine protection industry with her authentic passion for pads, and so there’s no need for my help in that area.
However, if you’re following me, Proctor & Gamble, I’m certainly passionate about the Fresh Start I’m giving myself, and how Tide Original is a constant source of hope and inspiration for me!
Just so you know...
#tideoriginal #tiderocks
