And The Midge

This is the final introduction that I will make before I dive head first in the the stories of my El Paso experience. I do have my sister, who I haven't blogged about, but because she is a public figure in this town, she'll be on the periphery instead of a highlight, though she is sprinkled throughout the blogs I tell. Plus she's in the El Paso Times enough that she doesn't need anymore press.
Oh The Midge. She was born in Mexico City and wears her Mexican culture proudly, though she looks quite American. One year my sister decided to dress up as a hippy chic. She bought the jeans, the shirt and a long, middle part wig to finish it off. The kids thought it would be funny to play with the wig and try it on. The youngest of the bunch-the midge, put it on and walked down the long hallway, ET style. My sister took this picture and sent it to me via email:

My boyfriend at the time took one look at the picture and said "She looks like a midget!" and that's how her nickname was born. The name imprinted itself into her DNA until about last year, when she finally grew to be the same size as her peers. She is still very much Midget to me and I will call her that even if the day comes when she's towering over me.

Now though her name means small, her personality definitely is not. She is one outspoken little cookie. She very much enjoys philosophizing about life and discussing politics. Here she is on her 3rd visit to the capitol writing to a representative:

I feel like she is a future politician (if she hadn't been born in Mexico, I would say president of the US) or lawyer or Oprah revamped in Mexican American style. She's uber-smart like the rest of the kids and truly has an old soul. She's perceptive in ways many adults aren't, she's sassy and says things as they are. Sometimes she says things that are brutally honest and may cut like a knife, but you know it's with the best intentions and a solid-gold heart. She has been through the same traumas as her sister, except was too young to remember the human shield incident.
She plays the clarinet in the school band, though I've never heard her practice. She comes to parties and friends dinners with me and fits right in. I appointed her my handler during SXSW 2011 and she did an awesome job. The midge is incredible in so many ways and I'm so excited to watch her grow up to be an even more amazing adult.