Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Living Life Outside the Tower


“They just can’t get my nose right!”

Eugene Fitzherbert. What a name! Then again, who ever heard of a blog called: “The Light Beyond the Tower?” Seems a little odd, doesn’t it? What is the tower supposed to be anyway?  And what is the light? The first I will answer; the second I will leave for you to discover.

It’s not easy breaking out of your comfort zone. It’s not easy being the odd man out. Yet it would seem that if two computer-generated cartoon characters can have the courage to do something different, than so should we.  The problem is that we don’t.

When Rapunzel first sees the floating lanterns from her window, she longs for the experience to see the lights in person. Yet because of her (secretly evil) guardian who pretends to be her mother, she knows she’s not allowed to leave the tower and is too afraid to go out on her own. Fortunately, in the meantime, she has lots of neat stuff to do—baking, painting, playing games . . . the activities appear to be limitless. These activities do manage to keep her busy—for a while. She just can’t get her mind off those lights.

“And then I brush and brush and brush and brush my hair/When will my life begin?”

So what’s holding her back?

The fact is that Rapunzel, like all of us, is experiencing fear—it’s an emotion we all know too well. We deal with it every day and in all different forms. No one wants to go talk to the new kid that no one knows. “I would go for that run, but I can always go tomorrow.”  “I got a scholarship for the school, but I just don’t know anybody.” “I like to sing, but I know I’ll get stage fright. I’ll probably just embarrass myself at the audition.” “What if I make a mistake in the big game?” “What if I get fired?” “What if I fail?”

Rapunzel wants so badly to see the lights. But she also feels afraid to leave the tower without her “mother’s” approval. In the song, “Mother Knows Best,” Mother Gothel tries to threaten Rapunzel by singing a song about all the dangers her adopted daughter will encounter if she tries to leave the comfort of the tower. Even after Rapunzel finally makes up her mind to leave, she keeps second-guessing herself: “I’m going back; I’m going back.” “I am NEVER going back!” She continues to analyze whether she made the right choice even after she’s made it.

Finally, after many trials and adventures along the way, Rapunzel gets to witness the beautiful floating lanterns that she has longed to see since her childhood. It’s only then that she discovers that the light she’s been looking for couldn’t be found in paper lanterns. It’s a person. And he’s right next to her.

So don’t go with the status quo. Say “Hi” next time you see the new kid. Get up and run. Audition for that play. Go for the gold.

Leave the Tower behind. The Light is ahead of you.

“And with every passing hour/I’m so glad I left my Tower
Like all you lovely folks I’ve got a dream.”

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