Queen for a Day ...

So now that I have acknowledged the elephant in the room ... let's have some fun shall we? 

I cordially invite you to join me for a look back on the social event of the season ... The Royal Wedding. 

I am a nerd of infinite proportion when it comes to all things British.  If you were to come to my home for a visit ... you would find my library filled with a vast array of paperback books which sport covers mainly of the pastel variety.  A virtual Easter egg hunt displayed on my shelves. 

I am a hard core reader of "Chick Lit."  Not to be confused with Harlequin romances or Johanna Lindsay novels whose covers feature Fabio in a variety of different poses ... with a damsel in distress standing just out of reach of or wrapped in his ridiculously muscular arms.  No.  Chick Lit is a genre that involves a wicked sense of humor, a splash of romance and heartbreak and is centered around the misadventures of an imperfect, adorable heroine along with her quirky friends.  Think "Bridget Jones."  Which was actually a book, by the way, long before it was a movie ... and well worth the read.  And I just happen to prefer my Chick Lit to have London as its backdrop. 

Most of my favorite movies are set in the UK ... the aforementioned Bridget Jones' Diary ... Love Actually (my favorite holiday movie ... second only to Christmas Vacation) ... Shakespeare in Love ... Four Weddings and a Funeral ... Notting Hill ... just to name a few.  The biggest cinematic disappointment of all time?  When they took my beloved Rebecca Bloomwood ... heroine extraordinaire from Sophie Kinsela's brilliant Shopaholic series ... a British heroine ... and turned her character into an American.  Tragic really ... sigh. 

When it comes to men who make me swoon ... give me a dash of the two Hughs ... Grant and Dancy ... throw in a shot of Colin Firth (if you haven't seen the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice please stop reading and immediately head to your local video store) ... a nightcap of Jude Law ... and let's call it a day. 

My love of all things British came at an early age.  Through literature.  For as long as I can remember ... books have played an important role in my life.  On any typical day ... at any particular time ... you will find my nose buried in a book. Finishing approximately one per week.  One of my favorite articles of clothing is a T-shirt that says "Reading is Sexy." 

My love affair started with Winnie the Pooh, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass ... and pretty much everything written by Jane Austen ... whom I believe to be the inventor of the Chick Lit genre.  Wuthering Heights is another classic that I revisit from time to time. 

I was blessed to have an overly ambitious English teacher whom, in my senior year, dedicated an entire semester to introducing her students to Old English literature.  I still remember our first assignment ... to dissect the ancient, epic poem ... Beowulf.  From there we traveled through the Canterbury Tales ... fell in love to the poetry of Lord Byron ... and eventually landed in the center of the Globe Theatre ... studying Macbeth.  The discovery of Shakespeare for me was like discovering God.  At the age of 18, I actually flirted with the idea of becoming an English Lit major in college ... until I realized that the call for such majors were few and far between. 

My son and daughter can attest to my great love of all things British as they have had to sit through numerous dinner hours wherein they are required to speak in a British accent.  They ask to be excused in order to use the loo, we refer to injustices suffered throughout the day as bollocks, call people we don't care for wanker or say they should bugger off (not charitable references by the way), we call the untrustworthy dodgy, if something takes us by surprise we say we are gobsmacked, we say things like cheers and when we start to tire, we say we are knackered ... yes, it may seem weird to you ... but it's actually a fun way to spend an evening ... and the teenagers like it so much, they invite their friends over so they can show off what a corker their mum is. 

So with all of this love ... can you imagine the enormity of my delight and excitement as the day of the Royal Wedding approached?  Had I not already left my full-time job ... there is no doubt in my mind that I would have used a vacation day to stay home and witness this blessed event.  I remember watching Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's nuptials as a young girl ... sitting on the floor of my living room ... with my friend Alexandria Troyer ... playing with my Barbie dolls ... transfixed by the spectacle unfolding across the pond.  It was magic ... and the wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton some 30 years later ... did not disappoint. 

I settled in on the special day dressed in my Sunday best ... a "hat" (actually a very large hair pin) placed upon my head ... sipping a steaming cup of Earl Gray tea and enjoying a poppy seed bagel (there were no crumpets to be found in my pantry, go figure) ... watching the guests arrive ... while taking in the amazing hats the female guests sported while awaiting their turn to enter the Abbey.  Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, in my opinion, were given a bad rap for their bold choice in headpieces.  I mean, it is the Royal Wedding, after all, nothing wrong with standing out in the crowd.  Well done you. 

Katherine's sister Pippa looked outstanding ... dare I might go as far as saying she stole the show in her form-fitting maid of honor's gown?  Princes William and Harry looked very handsome in their military best ... Harry stealing William's thunder by flashing that devilish smile while speaking so softly that only his elder, more dutiful brother could hear .. and the world could only speculate.  Katherine arriving with her father and exiting the limo finally revealing that breathtaking gown.  Watching the exchange of vows and the horse drawn carriage ride through the streets of London ... and ending with not one, but two kisses, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. 

All in all a jolly good time.  So what does this have to do in the context of this blog?  Well ... as my last blog posting described in detail ... my life has hit a bit of a rough patch.  But my circumstances do not dictate my ability to enjoy everyday life.  So, yes, you might find it odd that I dressed and hosted a viewing party for one of the Royal Wedding ... but I think it's a testament to my resilience ... that I will not let my circumstances pull me down into the darkness ... and that I still know how to have a good time ... despite the fact that I am alone. 

One of the best things about being 40 is that I have grown into a strong, confident woman who likes what she likes and to heck with everyone else ... and have left behind the insecure, 20-something I used to be.  So I encourage you my friends ... to figure out what it is you like to do ... what you enjoy ... and do it ... no matter what anyone else thinks ... just do it.

There is a time before my daughter leaves me to enter the gym to take her place on the court ... whether it be the volleyball or basketball court ... that I take a moment for some last-minute words of encouragement.  Along with the good lucks and the play your bests ... is my favorite ... play big or go home.  Because that's how I feel about all of life's moments.  My life is one big Royal Wedding ... which if you follow the Royal family at all ... you know that they have hit their fair share of roadblocks .. had their fair share of scandalous moments ... faced an enormous amount of scrutiny ... but when they decide to live ... they leave the past in the past ... they play big. 

So remember that when you're feeling at the end of your rope ... play big or go home ... show the world that you may be in the valley but you're enjoying the uphill climb.  Live your life as if you are exactly where you are meant to be ... that your life is worth living in Royal Wedding style ... and if you say it enough ... eventually you will become to believe it ... because you are valuable ... despite your circumstances. 

Yes, my king may have chosen to abdicate his throne ... but I am still Queen of this castle (which is how my favorite Aunty Gypsy jokingly refers to as my home)  ... if only for today.

 © 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved