I guess I'll take my time.

I’ve been thinking a little bit about the concept of a happy ending. Whether one is possible (or, as the case may be, probable), its presence in society and my expectations regarding it. I feel as though this is a subject about which my thoughts and opinions are ever-changing and dynamic, so forgive me if I become slightly unclear. The main thing that prompted my deeper consideration of such an issue was my viewing of the recent Disney film, Tangled (which, incidentally, was quite excellent). And perhaps it is best to begin with a few points about this company. It is a pretty common and clichéd theory that females are conditioned from an early age to expect a happy ending in their life, as depicted in the Disney films (primarily based on fairy tales) they watch repeatedly as children. I suppose that this is true to a certain extent. It is impossible to watch Snow White being kissed by the handsome prince, the transformed Beast embracing Belle and the glass slipper gracefully sliding onto Cinderella’s foot so many times without at least a pinch of sugar seeping into one’s consciousness. But, at the same time, I don’t think many of us give kids enough credit. The majority of them are able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. So, if I had to give my opinion, I’d probably say that the fairy tales read and watched by a child contribute more to their hopes in life, rather than their expectations.

Of course, there is a lot more to all of this than the literature and film a person encounters. Our early and indeed later personal experiences of the world around us are perhaps more important. For example, if somebody grows up in a happy household with unseparated parents, then they are much more likely to expect their life to follow a similar path. That’s not to say that we cannot acknowledge and desire situations different to those we are familiar with, but humans are generally creatures of repetition. I am very much aware that I am leaning more towards the romantic implications of the phrase “happy ending”, but I suppose it’s just what has been on my mind to a greater extent of late. But it’s possible to consider the attainment of a happy ending (although who decides when the ending is? I probably shouldn’t get into that now, might be writing for hours) in all facets of life. Family, career, leisure, whatever. The possibilities of beginning with once upon a time and finishing with happily ever after are endless.

So now I suppose I should write a little about the specifics. My own experiences of and expectations regarding happy endings. I don’t think it’s hugely naive for my to say that, more than anything, I hope for an endlessly happy marriage filled with love, respect and mutual trust. And I hope for beautiful relationships with my own future children. I know better than to expect such things, because for some they are just not possible. That’s something I’ve come to understand throughout the past year and a half. Because an individual is constantly metamorphosing, it isn’t always realistic to expect their relationships to remain happy and stable. But I have been conditioned, by my own upbringing and those Disney films, to wish for contentment in my relationships. In slight contrast, I do actually expect a happy ending (or, quite simply, happiness) in my working life. The reason for this is that, due to my experience at school so far this year, I know that I will completely enjoy working in education. In fact, in class today I was helping out a few students and they were asking about my plans for university and afterwards. When I told them that I want to become a teacher, they informed me that I’ll be “awesome”. I highly suspect that I’ve been walking around with a permanent smile upon my face since then. I sincerely hope that they turn out to be right.

To finish with I thought I’d include a short video of clips from the wonderful films of my formative years. I will continue to watch them as I grow older. And I will continue to hope.