Sometimes fairytales are better left as fairytales

Why do I build up my expectations of every situation? Because I'm a hopeless romantic and I thought that this situation was going to be one of those fairytale stories we all read about in magazines or see on Oprah. I was ready to start writing my own "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" but that didn't end so well, now did it? I have realized something about people, the more they change – the more they stay the same.

As much as I wanted him to be the Prince I pictured he grew up to be, I still maintained some semblance of lowered expectations when we met again. It was a rocky night with definite highs and some pretty low lows. Instead of having his life in order it seemed to be even more uncertain with him planning to move out of my city and having no definable job. Could this be what every 20-something is going through these days? In saying this I am made aware of two things: one – that I am done looking for security from anyone under 30, and two – I am looking for something more than a good time.

Yes, perhaps it's too soon to be looking for a new relationship but let's face it, even if I were maintaining singledom as a religion, I still want quality people in my life who have a clear path with goals and responsibilities. Is it too much of a fairytale to expect men to be men and not little boys? I see lots of gay couples around me who have been together for long or short periods of time and they have what seems like a fairytale coupling. However, I am reminded that nothing is as it seems from the outside, even my own relationships were perceived as picture perfect by some, when in fact they were not the fairytale ending I expected.

We read fairytales to our children but are we doing a disservice to both them and ourselves? I used to be more pessimistic, enjoying a more Grimm ending to any story since it mirrored real life more...realistically. Somewhere along the way I became hopeful that all my dreams would come true which can most likely be attributed to Disney and his militancy for making everything have a happy ending. He believed in fairytales so much that he had his head frozen in the hopes that someday he would be brought back to life when technology caught up with dreams. Well Walt, let me tell you something, sometimes the bull wins the fight and my Prince will not come.