Today, after my daughter and I made a fine snowman to grace our front yard, we set about building a snow castle. I've had a lot years' practice at making snow forts, so I've gotten pretty good at making icy edifices in a hurry. Well, truth be told, there isn't much to it, really. You just grab a shovel and start piling snow upon snow upon snow. Pack it down and dig out a center. Bam! That's it. Then you lay back and relax, staring at the blue sky.
My daughter, though, expects more than the mundane of minimum. She expects a castle that can hold off the hordes of evil-doers that will embark upon us soon enough. So also expects the walls to be just the right size on all sides. There's no slacking where she and snow castles are concerned. There's also no question who the king of the castle is. She is. Always. And I'm guessing she'll want to be forever.
That's fine with me. I don't mind being the princess, which I always seem to end up being in any game we play. It's a good distinction to hold. There's merit in being the lady of the land. But what bothers me a little bit is my daughter is under the illusion that to hold real power in this world and gain respect among your fellow humans you have to be a man. I explain this isn't the case, and that there have been very fine queens who have ruled ably and justly throughout the years, but she really doesn't want to hear any of that. She wants to be king.
And so she is. I have to say, though, that she's a bit of a tyrant. She rules with a iron fist. Bossing her subjects around. Demanding more weapons (snowballs) to fight those who would approach her domain. Ordering the princess to "get busy." I'm not sure where all of this is going, but I guess I'll take solace in the fact she's using her imagination and is shooting her sights high. I'm sure somewhere along the line she'll realize that it's good to be the king, but it can be even better being the princess.
My daughter, though, expects more than the mundane of minimum. She expects a castle that can hold off the hordes of evil-doers that will embark upon us soon enough. So also expects the walls to be just the right size on all sides. There's no slacking where she and snow castles are concerned. There's also no question who the king of the castle is. She is. Always. And I'm guessing she'll want to be forever.
That's fine with me. I don't mind being the princess, which I always seem to end up being in any game we play. It's a good distinction to hold. There's merit in being the lady of the land. But what bothers me a little bit is my daughter is under the illusion that to hold real power in this world and gain respect among your fellow humans you have to be a man. I explain this isn't the case, and that there have been very fine queens who have ruled ably and justly throughout the years, but she really doesn't want to hear any of that. She wants to be king.
And so she is. I have to say, though, that she's a bit of a tyrant. She rules with a iron fist. Bossing her subjects around. Demanding more weapons (snowballs) to fight those who would approach her domain. Ordering the princess to "get busy." I'm not sure where all of this is going, but I guess I'll take solace in the fact she's using her imagination and is shooting her sights high. I'm sure somewhere along the line she'll realize that it's good to be the king, but it can be even better being the princess.
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