May 24, 2008

My Own Little Hypocrisy

Check out the baby's face at the very end;p

Cyanide and Happiness, a daily webcomic
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net


---

Every time I babysit my cousin's kids, they ask me to tell them a story. I have a thing with storytelling. I fine it hard to tell them the common fairytales. Usually, I turn to Hans Christian Andersen. However, last week, my cousin's boy kept insisting I tell him "qesat eltheeb." And, so I did. I sat there telling him three different wolf stories.

Later, I thought about when he will realize that if a wolf does eat someone, you can't cut up his tummy and get the person he swallowed out. How about princesses? Not all pretty girls will find a prince charming. They'll grow up believing that until they are slapped in the face by an inconsiderate male. Again, they'll find out that nothing ends in a complete happily ever after, if there is a happily ever after at all.

I remembered my days as a kid when I used to question all the events in the story. People stopped telling me stories. My parents started buying me books. That didn't really stop the questions. And for the longest time, I believed that only evil people felt pain. And now, I realize that there is no prince charming that can handle the extent of emotion that a damsel in distress goes through.

So, why do we tell these stories to our kids? Why do we paint a world with rainbows and butterflies that weren't caterpillars? Why do we teach them that evil can be undone when it can't?

Next time, I'll make sure I twist the stories, so that they are less misleading...

---

Don't you just love this version of Chopin's "Fantasie Impromptu?" The best I've heard yet...



31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh.. Prince Charming will come, He is probably somewhere waiting for you, my friend . . . I think fairy tales is important for the kids to make them think there's a better life out there, until they learn by themselves.

we can't ask young people to endure the pains & the truth we adults are coping with

Amethyst said...

OpeRon
I doubt prince charming is waiting. And if he is, I pity him. He should get his lazy ass moving and come find me.

Really? Can't we just tell them stories that promise a better life without having to mislead them?

Of course, not! That would just be harsh;\

Journal Entries said...

kids have a strong imagination abilities.. oo telling them fairy tales help to boost their imagination which is healthy for them.. don't ask me how but i've read it somewhere!

Amethyst said...

A Journal Entry
Hehe, I agree!

Manutdfanatic said...

There's an appropriate time for most, if not all, things in life. Children's brains are not entirely ready to deal with what we deem to be the true realities of life; their harsh nature would perhaps be more damaging than beneficial.

All said and done, I do partially agree we need to bring about a change of some sort with the whole golden happy ending phenomena of every single fairytale. A small, not very agonising one that doesn't make them completely vulnerable once the eventual bubble burst comes about. :)

Amethyst said...

Manutdfanatic
True.

Yes, I agree. That's what I've been doing, and the best way to go is Hnas Christian Andersen.

The Masquerader said...

i still believe that "only evil people felt pain"
and i also believe that evil can be undone, all it needs is a chance, which is somewhere "impossible" for some ppl

FourMe said...

I blame snow white, sleeping beauty and Cindafuckinrealla for misleading me and making me believe prince charming exists! I should sue their asses!!

Rawr said...

all stories do come from so sort of truth, as do all myths and legends...

Maybe one girl got lucky? and got her prince charming?

Maybe these stories are just meant to remind you that you should never loose faith in the extraordinary...

Maybe??

Amethyst said...

The Masquerader
So all the mothers who lose loved ones in a war are evil?

Evil can be undone. It can be made better and atoned for.

Fourme
Sue their asses!

Rawr
Maybe, but all stories end in the happily ever after that is rare in reality.

Amethyst said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nQ said...

umbay you wanna go weewee? why are you listening to this piece?

*i prefer stories about greek mythology... or how my ancestors came from iran on a 3abara and the troubles that lead them to do so @@

Amethyst said...

nQ
I have a wide-ranged taste in music, and this is good!

Is this when you were a kid?

Silver said...

loooool that rly made me laugh. You just gave up on the world didn't you? lol. well i guess a person has to feel that way (hopeless) every once in a while, if not always. I don't think you would want to hit the kids with the truth min awalha. They should be allowed to dream and believe in "happily ever afters". I would want my kids to think it's a wonderful world, instead of a shitty world which they will think sooner than you think. Plus they would be more messed up than u think if they weren't allowed to be carefree if they weren't allowed to believe in such nonsense. ;p

Amethyst said...

Silver
Yeah, I gave up on the world a few weeks ago:)

That's not what I meant. The world was a wonderful place to me prior a certain incident, but it wasn't as wonderful as the fairytales I've heard. I'm not saying we should slap our kids around with a harsh reality because reality isn't really that harsh. I'm saying we shouldn't overdo the loveliness of the tales.

haj said...

the most amazing pianist!!!!! lovvved it

Amethyst said...

Haj
Glad:)

AnGeL said...

her touch is really good and the pedal work is nice :p listen to the revolutionary and Waltz # 3 AMAZING.

i suck in telling stories for kids, they never like it and they correct me and always end up with them fed up and telling ME the story ;p

Amethyst said...

Angel
Will do.

Why are you telling them a story they already know? Next time, make up your own;)

Unknown said...

*indulges himself with the music*

Amethyst said...

N.
Hehe, great!

Âme said...

I still believe in Mathematical Induction..and not in a single experience.

There is a world of happily ever after, which we seek relentlessly.

I did have glimpses of it and will definitely not lose hope about it, though i know i am never gonna make it. (Oh! yeah it exists)

Its the journey thats important not the goal.

~ Soul

P.S: Sorrow can sometimes make you think extremes.

Amethyst said...

Soul
I don't think that world exists. Really, a happily ever after? That doesn't even appeal to me..

It is the journey that counts.

Sorrow is sorrow is sorrow:)

Âme said...

You would believe me someday.

Joy is joy is joy.

Look at it from the other side :)

~ Soul

Amethyst said...

Soul
It's possible.

Right now, there is no other side:)

Âme said...

There is.. INSIDE..

~ Soul

Amethyst said...

Soul
My inside and outside are the same to me when I look at myself.

Âme said...

Interesting...

Too frank to be true i guess..

Its a free world and arms need to be open eh !

So, interesting.. still..

~ Soul

Amethyst said...

Soul
Open arms it is, then;p

Âme said...

Then.. I have to saddle the mind with the wings of curiosity, to find some answers.

~ Soul

Amethyst said...

Soul
Or more questions..