The Boy "Friend" of Cinderella

I find it curious that in both "Ever After" (starring Drew Barrymore) and "A Cinderella Story" (starring Hilary Duff) each "Cinderella" has a close male friend that they are not romantically involved with.

Girls and boys can be just friends. Well, I agree with that. However, I have two issues with the way those two movies portray this "close male friend."

First, why do these Cinderellas have no close female friends? Sure, they're oppressed by women (a stepmother, stepsisters), but that still wouldn't keep them from having female friends. Or perhaps they just get along better with guys, well, that's okay, but just ONE guy? Who you tell EVERYTHING too? Seriously? Surely at least once the guy thinks "Wow, I want to kiss Cinderella!" But no, Cinderella was over him last month. This month is "Prince Charming" and how he "might" notice me!

That brings me to my second point. Why doesn't Cinderella marry her best guy friend? What that best guy friend knows about her is more than the Prince might ever know (especially since there are things you know from growing up with someone that are hidden from people when you're older). Especially since the princes are so shallow. They're disappointed when they discover who their "princess" really is. Seriously, that boy who has known you your whole life is not disappointed when you are yourself. And I just have to feel a bit of a pang for them. Cinderella was too good for him.

Packing Light?

I've started to gather my clothes and other items I need for my trip to the "Mother Country." I have covered an entire double bed and a dining room table with these items. I'm beginning to wonder if they will fit in the two check-in suitcases and one carry-on that I'm alotted. Looking at all this stuff I "have" to take with me I begin to realize why Americans are considered so wealthy. I have 6 sweaters that I am bringing of the 7 that I own. I limited myself to three other long sleeved shirts and am leaving behind about 4. I choose two T-shirts out of about twenty in my collection and two nice short sleeved blouses out of about 10. I layed out four pairs of pants, a skirt, and a dress. I am bringing enough underwear to last me about a month and four pairs of shoes, not to mention a pair of slippers. Four bras are also in this collection, plus two coats, four pairs of gloves, two hats, a scarf, and three pairs of long underwear. I went through two jewelry boxes and selected out of dozens of pieces: a set of pearl jewelry, a silver set, a gold set, and what my sister calls a "fun set." My mother thought I needed more stuff!

If I wasn't staying in one place for three months, I would probably bring much less. In fact, I'm certain I could reduce the amount! However, I was told to bring a week's worth and I don't want anyone to notice my lack of clothing changes. Does this make me selfish and materialistic? Or just practical?

Fed up with a Guy

I just wrote this short story that really has nothing to do with my own life at all. However, one of my best guy friends (whom I can never hope to enter into a relationship with because he has forced us to be strictly friends for reason beyond what you or I can comprehend) just read it and has decided that I am the main character and its an allegory of my life. Also, he wanted to know who the guy in the story was. He's a guy, a character I just made up. There is no allegory! He can't seem to comprehend that, while I may have put some of myself into a story that doesn't mean the story is parallel to my own life! I'm dying for one of my gal friends to get back to me on their opinions. They'll be more honest. Or rather, more direct with what they think. It's guys like him that make me realize that I'm okay being single. . . at times.

I've decided that I should marry someone who has two brothers only so that we can start our wedding party on the same foot: two bridesmaids and two groomsmen. (I have two sisters only). I was thinking the other day that if I married someone who had a sister and no other siblings then I already had more in my wedding party automatically, in addition to another 7 or so friends I would want. My poor groom will have to find ten groomsmen! I wonder if he'd let me select a couple...but that wouldn't be right, it's supposed to be men that mean the most to him! Well, I guess if God decides that my husband won't be one of three brothers, then I'll work something out.

Today I went out with my friend Elle for the afternoon. We went out in the country to her dad's hunt club just to spend some time alone. Afterwards we went to a pizza parlor. As we waited for our food we played MASH. Its a game we used to play in middle school. I haven't played it in years. From the game we would predict whom we would marry, our cars, our jobs, our husband's jobs, our engagement ring, how many children we'd have and where we'd live. It was funny, really. I ended up with a hot tenor in the choir at my school, but I was kind of disappointed. I really wanted to marry a guy named Rick that I think I've fallen in love with. However, I've been trying to convince myself that he and I would never work out. I can't ever seem to fall for men that feel the same about me. I'm headed to England in 4 days, perhaps romance will find me there--even just a fling would be fine! I'm taking a Jane Austen novel for the flight to help get me in the mood for England.

Expressing Myself

Today I have decided to take a new approach to my life: share it with the world.

Currently I have absolutely no boyfriend. Previously: no boyfriend. Not even a lover. Okay, perhaps I have had the occasional young man express intense interest in me, but I am not one to stoop to someone who is not my type. Unfortunately, there seems to be no man that I share a mutual attraction with. However, this has not gotten me down. In the past, perhaps, this would have, and I'm sure it will again, but for now I am making a list of New Year's resolutions and one of them is to be completely content being single.