Any biography will tell you that one of Marilyn's favorite ways to pass time was to talk on the phone. She'd probably get a kick out of the internet, and chat rooms, and would probably have "I was checking my email" as an excuse to being late to work if she were around now.

Weird, huh. To say "if she were around now" as we're surround by her in the media, still, with new biographies constantly appearing on bookshelves and in movies, and with her face selling everything from perfumes to lingerie. Why does this woman still permeate our lives? Why is she adored by people who weren't even alive when she was? What is the reason behind her staying power?

Marilyn is a hero, a role-model. She is the fairy-tale, the living orphan Annie. She gives hope to the hopeless. To me, she proves that if you work hard, you can make it. Career aside, here is a girl who made the best of the difficult situations in which she lived as a child. And who continued to work the system to her advantage. She seized opportunities to learn about herself and the world, and used her position on status for the benefit of those in need. Most importantly, she also forgave.

People are still saddened by Marilyn's death at such a young age because the world was robbed of all her potential. We could admire her and love her with all her faults because she admitted she had them! And she was doing her best to learn from her shortcomings, and make herself into a better person. We miss her because we want to see how it all turned out.

But maybe there are some things we do not need to know. Marilyn left this world the legacy of self-improvement. We continue to be fascinated with her because we need to learn about change. We can change ourselves, our lives, and our situations for the better. It is possible. You just have to set your mind to it.