ever after

Sometimes, I feel kind of screwed over by Walt Disney.

No, I'm not referring to his antisemitic tendencies (although those piss me off as well). I'm talking about this notion purported by every single Disney movie, that, without fail, Prince Charming will ride up on his white horse to rescue his damsel in distress from whatever seems to be troubling her, instantly ridding her life of all problems (financial, evil step-mothers, etc.). That good always triumphs over evil. That we all live Happily Ever After.

That is so not how my personal fairy tale is going.

And frankly, I'm glad. Fairy tales are predictable and boring; boy meets girl, some huge obstacle keeps boy and girl apart, boy defeats obstacle and wins girl's love, boy and girl live Happily Ever After. Please.

It's the Happily Ever After part that has always bugged me. It seems so vague, so unfinished. As if to say and from that moment on, absolutely everything was perfect for the rest of their lives. That's not to say there's anything wrong with optimistic endings, but I think it needs some tweaking. If I could rewrite the ending of fairy tales, it would be something like this:

And from that moment on, things were generally good. The couple knew they had overcome many hardships together, and that many more were to come. When things got difficult, the couple sought out counseling together, as they were well aware that good relationships take work. They worked hard at establishing harmony, though it wasn't always easy. Sometimes they disappointed one another, but for the most part, their love continued to grow. At times, they worried about the strength of their union, but as a result of perseverance and a lot of open communication, they were mostly happy for the rest of their lives.

The End.