Recently I was watching the TV show "Parenthood." In this particular episode a little girl was playing the Princess and the Maid with her friend. One little girl was always the Princess and one little girl always the Maid. The mother wanted her little Maid to be the Princess. When they tried this it didn't go over well. The girl who was always the Princess staged a coup while she was the Maid and became the Princess. I have to wonder....is the little girl who plays the Maid more in tune with things and actually better off?
I think secretly we've all dreamed of becoming Princesses. I will not deny that I have actually looked at Princess Michael of Kent's family tree to see if she had an eligible son. Not because I want to be a Princess although it would have it's perks since I love to wear hats, but because Princess Michael of Kent would make an awesome mother-in-law. But do we set ourselves up to fail because we want to be the Princess?
Life is rarely like a fairy tale although some books would have us believe it is and maybe in our own way our personal love stories become fairy tales to us, but there's a harsh reality most fairy tales leave out unless you read the original Grimm fairy tales. History is full of Princesses who gave up quite a lot to either become queen or simply because of their birth. Think of King George and his six daughters....they had little freedom. Victoria took the crown and gave up little pieces of herself to become queen. She gave up even more when Albert died. And what about Queen Elizabeth II? She had to take on a role that killed her father, who was not meant to be king but became king because of love.
I get that the life of a Maid is not easy. But maybe playing the Maid is the smart little kid's choice. You can marry almost anyone you want....men have been known to marry maids. Your clothing was a lot less restrictive (imagine trying to have a quickie with all those petticoats) and you could move up in the world based on your own merit. You didn't have to marry up in the world like a Princess or a woman of the aristocracy.
People who know me, know that I did not live the life of a Princess or the life of a Maid. I took chances and actually flaunted my very bohemian lifestyle during a very conservative time. Most people had their own vices, but those were kept well hidden. I openly showed mine. I didn't live the life I was supposed to and didn't pretend to be the Princess and I think I was better off.
What do you think? Would you play the Princess or the Maid?
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I remember playing Sleeping Beauty with my sister. She was the princess, and I was everything else: the prince, the maid, the cook, the evil stepmother, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was more exciting that way.
And, think of all the girls who were or became princesses who died horribly.