Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Fairy Tales


“Let the wild rumpus begin” is a phrase that all kids under the age of thirty, or parents who have kids under thirty have heard before.   This is just one of many phrases that stick out to me when I think about books I have read or movies I have seen over the years.  I love movies, and I have a special spot in my heart for children’s movies.  My family has told me that I have the same taste in moves as many pre-school aged children; and I have learned to longer take offence to that, but to embrace it.
I have talked before about how we are in charge of writing our own stories; but this can get complicated.  You can think you are writing your story one way and then you get thrown a curve ball, or the chapter you are writing doesn’t turn out the way you had wanted… but this doesn’t happen in children’s movies.  When I watch a Disney movie, I know who the bad guy is, I know that it will end with a happily ever after, I know that the princess will find true love and the bad guy will get what he has coming… this isn’t as easy in real life.
The ability to escape my own reality for a few hours and become amerced in a story is a wonderful feeling.  I was at a movie last night that wasn’t a kid’s movie but it still had the same aspects- I knew who the bad guy was, I knew who the good guys were, and I knew that they were going to save the day. Yes the movie had some plot turns, but I was able to sit in the theater and forget about the stress going on in my life.  For two plus hours I was able to watch the good guys win, and sometimes in reality the good guy doesn’t always win.
As we grow older it tends to be frowned upon to enjoy fairytales and movies for kids- but a movie came out this past weekend that is pretty much a fairy tale for adults, and it did VERY well at the box office.  I love my ability to still enjoy kids movies, that I am still able to find the joy that are in these pictures and that I haven’t let my life experiences jade me from enjoying the more simple things in life.  I still get excited when a new Disney movie comes out, and if it is a princess movie- I pretty much start a countdown until the release date.
Some people may see my love children’s movies as naive and immature, but I see it as a success.  I was able to grow up, have my heart broken, worked in the “real world”, lived with people, lived by myself – I was able to become an adult and I am still able to see the good in the world.  There are days when I know that the only think that will make my day better is to watch “The Princess Bride.” I have found a way to allow myself to process my own story that is in a non-destructive way, that doesn’t hurt me or anyone else.
We all have our own ways of writing our stories, and processing what is happening in our story.  I challenge you to take a step away from your story occasionally, and let your mind enjoy a different story for a few hours – I think you will be surprised what may learn in that short period of time.  I know I have watched movies before and come up with new ideas about how I wanted to write my story, or how to deal with a certain chapter that wasn’t going the way I wanted.
Enjoy writing your own story, but don’t forget to allow some whimsy into your story- because what we are all really looking for is the “happily ever after.”
You have it all & Confidence,
Lyndsay

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