Horizon

"And they lived happily ever after…" is the most wonderful and beautiful phrase in my opinion. It gives a story the best ending that anyone could wish for. But most of the times, we only find it in fairy tales.

Talking bout fairy tales, I’ve been wondering why are the main characters always ladies. I did not perform a statistical count but I always recall Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and other princesses when anyone talks bout fairy tales. Maybe it is the influence of Disney’s Pictures. They always seem to pick princesses’ story for animation. Even the first Chinese character they worked on is Hua Mulan (why not Hua WuQue or maybe Huang Fei-Hong, hihi…).

When we were small, these fairy tales were the favourites of our bedtime stories. Then, we have fantasies of ourselves being princes and princesses in our imaginative fairyland. And I believe some of us still have that kind of fantasies; guys would like to stumble across sleeping princess in the wood, while gals with their prince charming riding to the rescue. But for most of us, these are nothing more than daydreams or false hopes. I myself have doubts if "happily-ever-after" has or will ever happened to anyone in reality.

However, no matter how pessimistic one is, I believe everyone does have that touch of naivety hidden deep inside us. Living in this realistic world, fairy tales can be a sanctuary to the soul. After reading dozens of sorrowful news daily, wouldn’t it be a relief to turn over a page of dreamy fiction anticipating the dragon to be slayed, the princess saved and the tender kiss… Sweet!

Here I would like to encourage everyone to read a fairy tale or watch a Disney picture, and dwell in fantasies once in a while. Don’t be too harsh on yourselves as life is difficult enough without our pessimism. Be naive and have one or two false hopes, and the world might be a better place altogether. May "happily-ever-after" lives on…