She's Better Than A Catchy Jingle or Commercial...

Let’s take a moment to celebrate a woman who used to be known as Jessica Z (because there used to be a Jessica S. . . I wonder what happened to Jessica S . . .). Anyway, I’ve known the woman since I was 5, and the entire time, she has encouraged me with laughs (and an occasional snort . . . don’t deny that Jessica Z. I’ve heard it), but more importantly, she has a consistently bright spirit, astute ability to lead and damn good taste in blogs. Now, on to Lauren’s much more loquacious celebration. (In case you were confused, this is not a recommendation letter but rather a celebration of Fan #1. In fact, if you’re reading this, remember that you could have been fan #1 . . . but you didn’t try as hard.)

Lauren’s Top 3 Reasons:



1.) She looks like Alyssa Milano: When I’m around her I always feel like we’re just a Tony Danza away from solving Who the Boss really is. (Also, similar headpieces for their weddings...coincidence or fate?)

2.) She’s a lady and an athlete: A strong female presence in the sports world is slowly becoming more prevalent, but I grew up at a time when Sandlot was popular. Not only did they do wonders for the “mallow” sales, they also taught our culture a fancy way to slam athleticism: “You throw like a girl.” Being the lady and athlete that she is, Ms. Jess threw like a girl, which turned out to be better than most boys....so to that I say a fancy touche.

3.) Her last name, pre-husband: Before she was a Kirschner she was a Zellmer. Now that I’m a teacher I know I’ve been guilty of accidental alphabet favoritism. Lining up last, sitting in the back of the room are only the tip of the iceberg. There weren’t any uncomfortable connections made to Jess’s last name and growing up with Hicks, I envied that. I was either dodging “hickey”accusations or clarifying that in contrast to what my last name implied I would never say anything discriminatory or overlook the No Shoes. No Shirt. No Service rule.