Diversity

"When we're talking about diversity, it's not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us."-Ava DuVernay
 

Let me say this, I knew that this would happen. I knew the numbers wouldn't compare. I knew that Brown faces would be hard to receive. I knew that "it's a man's world." I just wanted this time to be different. I wanted that on the eve of International Women's Day that we would support Ava. I wanted us to support diversity. I wanted more than just Barbie dolls and merchandise. I wanted my daughter to go see a movie with a lead that looks just like her. I wanted the inclusion riders. I wanted to believe that we wanted diversity too. 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-wrinkle-in-time-ava-duvernay_us_5aa27655e4b07047bec58d99

Happily Ever After

I love all things Disney. I love Mickey Mouse. I have a collection of Minnie Mouse Ear Headbands. And while I love Disney, it is partially the reason why some of us have disillusions about love. Disney for all intents and purposes invented the fairytale and mass marketed it to little girls. We believed that "Someday our Prince would Come," and we would live "Happily Ever After." At least, that's how it worked out in the movies. Our parents didn't always remind us that it was "make believe." Some of us still have this notion that our "fairy godmother" is going to fix everything, so we can go to the ball. I'm not saying that your "happily ever after" won't happen. I am saying that you have to be realistic in your search and your expectations. Your Prince Charming might be a little sarcastic. Your Princess might have a little baggage. I'm saying that just because you're not married with kids doesn't mean you won't be. 

He looked at me and said aren’t you a little old to believe in fairytales?

And I looked at him and smiled…  and even though I wanted to yell …“no”

I explained to him that ever since we are little girls, we are taught to wait on our knight in shining armor,

Though they never told us that his armor might be a little tarnished

Or that in his search for you there were many other princesses who fit into your glass shoe

And that before sleeping with you he was sleeping with Beauty

Mama never told us that our Prince Charming just might be a Beast

And sometimes it easier for him to save a damsel in distress

Than to stress himself over our unrealistic expectations

To rescue us from towers of insecurities of our own creation

All because the last prince made promises he never intended to keep

I wanted to tell him that you’re never too old to believe in fairytales

As long as you know that nobody’s perfect

And happily ever after usually follows a slew of broken spells,

And some heartache and pain, and that’s just on the surface

That’s not all the soul searching or death defying tasks that only true love would ask

That’s not getting on bended knee with the possibility of you rejecting me, all in hopes loving eternally….

That’s not accepting your kids as my own, and making a home

That’s not forgiveness, or agreeing to disagree

That’s not trusting again even though you’ve been hurt…

He looked at me and said aren’t you a little old to believe in fairytales?

And I looked at him and smiled and said….Love is a fairytale and that’s always worth believing in….