A Fairytale Situation?

We have a problem. It has taken me twenty-two years to realise the following, but I hope that I can spare you the same amount of time. Join me, won't you, on an exploration of the moral cloudiness and general evils of...Cinderella. I know, it seems petty. But just you wait.

If by some freak possibility you are not familiar with the story, here it is in short: Cinderella is a beautiful, young lady who is forced into working like a servant by her 'evil' stepmother and three ugly and bitter stepsisters. One night, her fairy godmother appears, turns her rags into a ball-gown and Cinders dances the night away with the Prince at his grand ball. They fall in love, she has to scarper just before midnight and leaves a single slipper at the party. The Prince scours the land for a lady who fits the slipper, finds Cinders and whisks her off to live happily ever after. Aww.

Here's what's wrong with this story. It basically asserts the idea that youth and beauty are desirable and ugliness is essentially bad. Likewise, half-parents. Cinderella's godmother comes to her rescue (whipping up some other 'normal' things into 'beautiful, new' things) and she gets to the ball, where people are shocked by her sharp wit, intelligence, gentleness and caring? Nope. By her beauty. When the prince finally finds her again (because none of the women in the kingdom have the same size shoe as Cinderella), she gets her happily ever after. I'm not sure how happy I am teaching my kids that beauty will eventually get them wealth and position. Because those things aren't the most important. Especially if it means you have to put pumpkins out of their day-job!

Which way?

There are lots of routes I could have taken in my life.

If I’d worked a little harder, I could have achieved the grades I needed to go to Sheffield university (my first choice) and study. If I hadn’t decided, at the last minute, to take an A-level in French rather than Music, I would not have been doing a French specialism PGCE. In fact, I’d probably have gone into something to do with music, English or drama. If I’d gotten over myself sooner, I might have started playing music in 1^st year, cajoled a few band members and played a few low-key gigs. If I’d learnt to be more comfortable in my own skin sooner, I might have made a real go of the relationships and friendships I have allowed to slide past.

But I didn’t take these routes. At the time at which I decided which way to go, I was either too scared, or convinced of the alternative. And that’s ok.

It's ok because nothing I choose to do is a shock to God. God knows exactly and in detail everything I have ever done and will ever do in my life. There is no panic in Heaven. They’re not running around saying, “Aargh!! That girl shouldn’t be doing that there/now/in that way!!”

What if’s and if only’s really get us nowhere. It is not too late for me to write more music, learn more languages, speak more confidently to more people, draw more pictures, and try my hardest at whatever I do. I just have to want it.

And I do.