The Helpful Results of Ditching A Fairytale
A story of a Girl shaking off the magic dust to stop sticking to the script
Once upon a time (the 1980’s), in a far-away land (northern Alberta) there lived a Girl who was sprinkled with magic dust (and also liberally coated in Georgio perfume – remember that yellow and white box?). The magic dust was custom made for her and it conveyed ‘special powers’ – it gave her the skill of people pleasing, following in her family footsteps, the ease and lure of sticking to the script, and the essential trait of service above all else. Because of the magic dust there was never any need to think about her own feelings or deep desires.
As the Girl got older the magic dust gradually began to wear off (aided at first by DuranDuran, Madonna, and tequila shots). The dust brushed from her eyes as she slowly began to see things differently. Books and conversations helped widen her perspective and her heart began to pull at its tether. But it remained her biggest wish to shake the magic dust off completely, to be free to live entirely as herself. But to do this she would have to go find herself (which sounded like some weird plot from The Young and the Restless - a show her friends watched back then and still watch to this day).
The REASON the Girl wished to live without magic dust (and people pleasing and doing things just because they’ve always been that way and, and, and…) was to get rid of the ache of her insides not matching her outsides. She discovered that when her actions weren’t in alignment with who she was on the inside she felt yucky —sometimes there would be a knot in her gut or she would act like a bitch. The Girl didn’t want to be a bitch, nor did she want to walk around with a knot in her gut.
The Girl began to climb the stairs to her tower every day (not really a tower, it’s just the chair in her upstairs bedroom where she meditates). She began to ask herself some questions about what was truly important to her. She was surprised, and not too happy, when some scary creatures started banging at her door to get in. She knew if she climbed down from the tower without saying Hi to those scary creatures the magic dust (which was actually anxiety and confusion) would never go away so she stayed in the tower, took a big breath and opened the door.
The funny thing was that once the Girl opened the door (and saw the light, haha just kidding, she still has not seen the light – that only happens in fairytales) the scary creatures got much smaller. They were still very annoying, but they didn’t take up all the space in the room and she could mange them. The Girl realized that meeting herself, really getting to know her, is how she could shake off the magic dust to stop repeating patterns that were no longer working (like drinking wine and being so defensive). This really helped with the knot in her gut (she’s still working on the bitch part).
The Girl did not go on to live happily ever after (because that only happens in fairytales) but she no longer has magic dust on her (well, not very much) and she is much more content and less reactive.
The End. (Well, not really the end because we are never done getting to know ourselves better.)
One more thing — the Girl wishes to remind you that often it’s safer to get help from a licensed professional before you open the door to say Hi to your scary creatures. Safety first Hon.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve smelled Georgio perfume and what you think of it? I’m not sure I would love it very much any more. Or you could tell me about one of your fairytales that worked out…or didn’t! Can you please hit the ❤ for me to remind the Substack bosses that I’m working away in my little corner so maybe they will show my work to more people. Thank you and please know I am sending that love right back to you!
Thanks for the familiar story and can't say I can remember Georgio perfume, but do recall a few others cloying ones that make me ask myself, "what was I thinking"! Along with a few other of the choices of those earlier decades... glad to be getting wiser and shaking most of the fairy dust off , yet retaining enough to still believe in magic in a healthy way.
Lovely read, for this Sunday morning. I am slowly but surely side-stepping, winding my way around that elephant in the room of the ‘magic dust’ keeping me sticking to the script so that this ‘Girl’ can let it go for other things. Lovely as well to think of myself as still that ‘Girl’ as I approach my 71st b’day in just over 30 days,, I just want to be her again looking around in wonder at the numinous,numerous winding roads of exploration to take.