She Didn’t *Have* to Ask For Her Heart In A Box

Every queen starts out as a princess.

Some princesses live in castles full of light and music.

They are loved by everyone.

They learn to sing and dance.

They’re told that they’re lovely and sweet.

They’re adored by their wise father and their kind mother.

They take these seeds of beauty and let them grow into gardens full of love and hope.

Other princesses live in dark shadowed fortresses.

They wander through rooms feeling trapped and lonely.

They learn that nobody cares about what they want.

They’re told that they’re selfish and thoughtless.

They’re ignored by the people that should love them.

They swallow the pain of rejection and let it grow inside until it can’t help but spill out.

Every queen starts out as a princess.

But every princess chooses what kind of queen she’s going to become.

Posted by Faiqa on October 14, 2009 10:18 pm • I Love You, Too. Now What Did You Want? • 31 comments

31 Comments »

Avitable Said,

October 14, 2009 @ 11:21 pm

So why did you totally choose to become the evil snooty queen?

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:27 am
@Avitable, So I could torture poor bastards like you. Life is about the small things, you know?

[Reply]
Ren Said,

October 14, 2009 @ 11:57 pm

Are there examples in literature of the first type of princess becoming an evil queen or the second type becoming a benevolent queen?

I suppose Cinderella qualifies.

And there may be examples that seem like the first type, but closer examination probably reveals that the princess was a spoiled brat.

Now I feel like I read a “heart in a box” post before…

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:30 am
@Ren, Cinderella *does* qualify. In fact, I bet that most evil queens start out being spoiled. I think our civilization (and perhaps every one before ours) equates misery with piety and excess with evil. And, yes, I did write a post like this before. It’s called an obsession.

[Reply]
Hilly Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 7:22 am

Why is it that the evil queens always get to wear the coolest clothes? Does evil come with good fashion sense? I say yes.

[Reply]
Finn Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 9:36 am
@Hilly, I concur. I’d rather dress like the evil queen and behave like the good one. Except when I’m not dressed…

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:32 am
@Hilly, Perhaps we should consider that their fashion sense appeals to us because we are, in fact, evil? I have no problems with this. You?

[Reply]
B.E. Earl Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 8:28 am

But the evil Queen wasn’t a princess first. Not necessarily. She was the King’s second wife. For all we know she could have been a commoner. Royalty by marriage.

That being said…heart in a box = bad ass!

That being said…the Queen’s death in the fairy tale was better than her death in the film. As Grimm deaths usually were.

That being said…I really could go for an apple right now. Or a heart in a box.

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:35 am
@B.E. Earl, Heart in a box… I think we may be onto something. Somebody call McDonald’s. Brand New! For A Limited Time Only, get a Young Girl’s Heart In A Box!!

[Reply]
Sybil Law Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 8:33 am

Some queens will be bitter no matter what, though. Or incredibly misunderstood. Both, probably.

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:37 am
@Sybil Law, That’s true. That’s what I meant by they choose… bitterness is a choice. Choices say the most about who we are. Like Coke versus Pepsi. Clearly, anyone who drinks Coke has homicidal tendencies.

[Reply]
SciFi Dad Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 8:44 am

Is it wrong that I can’t get “Man in the Box” by Alice In Chains out of my head now?

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:37 am
@SciFi Dad, I love that song.

[Reply]
B.E. Earl Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
@SciFi Dad, Or Nirvana’s “Heart-shaped Box”.

[Reply]
RebTurtle Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
@B.E. Earl, You two beat me two it.

[Reply]
Miss Britt Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 8:53 am

Is it wrong that *I* can’t get “Dick in a Box” out of my head now?

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:37 am
@Miss Britt, I hate that song.

[Reply]
RebTurtle Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
@Faiqa, Come on, feel the love. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg

[Reply]
Finn Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 9:35 am

So apparently I’m choosing to be the slightly bored, slightly bossy but basically benevolent dictator queen?

I can live with that.

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:38 am
@Finn, And the critical ingredient? You do it with style.

[Reply]
hello haha narf Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 9:44 am

we all make choices. i dated a guy who was raised by an alcoholic father who would drink almost every dime he earned before going home to beat up the wife and kids. my boyfriend grew up to rarely drink and never to excess, yet his brother grew up to be an alcoholic who drank every penny he earned before going home to beat up his wife and break up the furniture. each was raised in the same house, by the same man, yet took different paths. we all make choices.

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:38 am
@hello haha narf, And we have a winner people. A plus. That’s what I’m TALKING ABOUT.

[Reply]
Elizabeth Kaylene Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 11:31 am

For the most part I agree with this, but in Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent was way cooler than Aurora. Seriously!

On a totally serious note, this is a great analogy. Faiqa, you should be a professor or something, because you’ve got brains girl!

[Reply]
Faiqa Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 11:39 am
@Elizabeth Kaylene, That is what I want to be when I grow up. Or finish my thesis. Whichever comes first.

P.S. Maleficent RULES!!!

[Reply]
B.E. Earl Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 1:05 pm

So this wasn’t just about Disney shit? Wha-wha-what?

[Reply]
Kate Said,

October 15, 2009 @ 3:11 pm

I choose to sing and dance (although the dancing is mostly done alone, for everyone’s sake ).

[Reply]
Selma Said,

October 18, 2009 @ 4:29 am

And some Queens choose Kings who keep them either on the path that leads towards the light or the one shrouded in darkness. And so the cycle continues…..

[Reply]
Sarcastica Said,

October 21, 2009 @ 11:14 pm

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! You are completely right, bitterness IS a choice. On the rare occasional, I will chose to be bitter – just like I’ll chose to be selfish or sad. But generally for the most part, I’m happy what kind of queen does that make me?

[Reply]
Amir Said,

November 3, 2009 @ 9:53 am

I’ve never seen any princess lives in a dark shadowed fortress. :s

[Reply]
Snackiepoo » Blog Archive » The Great Interview Experiment… Said,

November 23, 2009 @ 11:22 am

[...] just got a way about her (thanks Billy Joel). These are two of my favorite posts she has written: She Didn’t *Have* To Ask For Her Heart In A Box and Upsy Daisy In The Bed Of Roses. But don’t just read the ones I like…read them [...]
Sarah and the Goon Squad » The Great Interview Experiment Rages On Said,

November 23, 2009 @ 1:36 pm

[...] just got a way about her (thanks Billy Joel). These are two of my favorite posts she has written: She Didn’t *Have* To Ask For Her Heart In A Box and Upsy Daisy In The Bed Of Roses. But don’t just read the ones I like…read them [...]