Cinderella, I Wasn't.

Growing up, I always imagined the fairy tale, white picket fence, family of five, prince charming, happily-ever-after ending for my life.  Not once did I ever picture it turning out any differently, really. There was never another option or plan B. And, for almost twenty-five years, that happily-ever-after plan was playing out just as I knew it would. But then one day, it all changed. No fairy tale. No white picket fence. No family of five of my own. The man that I thought was my prince charming turned into being the first of several frogs to come. And needless to say, there was no such thing as happily-ever-after for this once optimistic, yet foolish girl.

Could it have been that my expectations were just plain ridiculous? Had I set the bar too high? Too high that no one or nothing could ever live up to anything I had built up in my mind? Who knows? The only thing I know now is that once “attainable,” destined to come true dream of mine died one sad, sad day in Georgia. And then again one cold February day in Portland and once more on a cool, March night in Denver. Needless to say, that dream is not any dream of mine anymore. It’s more like a dream-turned-bad-nightmare that I hope never visits me again. Cinderella, I wasn't, and I will never try to be her again.