Rescue Yourself

Do you dream about your Prince Charming riding into your life in a gorgeous hummer and rescuing you from your ordinary life?

When I was growing up a lot of the songs and shows intended for female audience encouraged girls to dream about a hero coming along and rescuing the damsel in distress from her dreary existence and then they both ride into the sunset and live happily ever after.

Many ladies old and young buy into the concept of a tall dark and handsome Prince Charming or a smooth knight in shining silver Mercedes coming in and sweeping them off their feet. Some young ladies buy into this concept so much until instead of living life to the fullest, going to college or finding something meaningful to do with their lives they spend it waiting to be swept off their feet. Unfortunately when they are, they often find out that life is not the fairy tale they pictured it to be.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I heard some of my fourth grade girls sing a song I’d never heard before. (I confess to musical ignorance) The lyrics were so vastly different from those I grew up listening to. It painted a different picture of the much beloved Cinderella and encouraged young ladies to rescue themselves.

I don’t wanna be like Cinderella
Sitting in a dark old dusty cellar…
I don’t wanna be like someone waiting
For a handsome prince to come and save me
I’d rather rescue myself

Don’t think I’m knocking Cinderella, I love the story myself but I thought it was nice to hear a song that encourage young ladies to be self sufficient and rely on their own inner strength, ambition and intelligence to make it in life.

Yes, I agree, it’s nice to sometimes dream about being rescued from your seemingly ordinary or stressful life by a tall, dark handsome guy pulling up in his shining, silver mercedes (swoon). However, wouldn’t you like to improve your own situation? Isn’t it simply sweeter to have choices? I mean it’s nice to have someone rescue you but wouldn’t you at least want to know that when it truly matters you’re able to, with God’s help of course, rescue yourself?

Article from june/aug issue of Girl Talk Magazine