I’ve always loved stories.
Growing up, you could reliably find me in some corner of the house, under some blanket, or snuggled in bed with a book. According to reports, I even pretended to read when I couldn’t. When I was 3 years old, my grandmother watched in amazement I took up the newspaper from the kitchen table, spread it out on the floor, plopped on my stomach, and proceeded to serenely gaze over the plethora of words in front of me. As a result, I immediately got labeled as the most intelligent grandchild. (Poor grandma just didn’t understand that I was simply mimicking what I saw my parents do every morning, sans the rolling on the floor.)
As I grew older, my tastes in literature changed and matured from the Berenstain Bears to The Babysitters Club to Nancy Drew to Jane Austen to Fyodor Dostoyevsky. However, my love for fairytales never really diminished. There’s something reassuring about a “Happily Ever After” and something wonderful about magical fairies or charms that help to save the day. There’s something comforting about being saved in the end- either by one’s own wiles or with the aid of someone special.
"The Witch Must Die" An interesting read for fairytale enthusiasts.
(To those of you ready to object: Yes, I know that the original tales are generally more unhappy and cautionary. And yes, I know that romanticized fairytales are what can give girls unrealistic expectations about love and men. Oh, and yes, I realize that feminists sometimes get all cranky about the women always needing to be saved by a man. I know. I know the arguments. I’ve taken numerous Children’s Lit. courses and I own a book entitled, “The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales.” I know the psychology of the stories. I know their origins. However, this post is not meant to be a thesis regarding the merits or pratfalls of fairytales. I’ve written those papers and this is not one of them. This post is about the fact that I enjoy the stories and they have meaning to me. Ahem. Okay, I’m done digressing now.)
Anyway, I am naturally drawn in when people reference fairytales. So, when I saw an article entitled “Goldilocks and Youth Ministry,” I had to read it. I was immediately curious- What does the trespassing little girl have to do with ministry? Well, the author, Chris Durso, makes an interesting connection between the classic tale and reaching out to students. I won’t steal Chris’ thunder by detailing the article’s contents here or by going into an analysis about the author’s experience. Instead I’ll let you read and come to your own conclusions. Also, be sure to check out the comments section, which is particularly interesting given the article’s stance on how to treat people.
Take a look and let me know what you think: http://bit.ly/asVde4
