Once Upon a Time
September 26, 2008
Once Upon A Time -- magical words that draw you in and promise you wonder. That's the first phrase I looked up in MAGIC WORDS: A DICTIONARY by Craig Conley. He quotes Dale Carnegie, saying these are "the magic words that open the floodgates of a child's imagination."
Not only that, to all children -- especially for those who are abused and tormented and violated -- "once upon a time" means a powerful new place of hope and safety. A place where wishes can come true. A place where anything can -- and does -- happen.
Transcending the trauma takes magic, as well as patience and faith.
Words -- as a five year old -- I whispered, wanting to be rescued from the violent pedophile who lived in my home: Bibbidy-Bobbidi-Boo. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother's magic words. MAGIC WORDS says the origin is a Celtic spell which meant to "direct a thrown javelin or fired arrow unerringly to its intended target." That is powerful, indeed.
I interviewed Chuck Palahniuk years ago about his book LULLABY, which was about a culling spell -- a nursery rhyme that kills those who hear it spoken. So I asked him if he believes in magic. And Chuck tells me this wonderful story about intention. "He says a prayer is intention. A spell is an intention. A mission statement is an intention. I believe in intention." He says "you have to go out on a limb and set ridiculous goals." His first novel FIGHT CLUB wasn't even selling out its firrst printing when he declared in public that it would make the NY Times bestseller list. Which we know now it did. Chuck says declaring your intention in public does three things -- it gives you an impetus, it's a rallying cry, and it's a public gun to your head because you risk humiliating yourself if you fall short.
Magic. Intention. Prayer. Spells. Mission statements.
As a child, I prayed with my heart to be rescued, but I never said the words aloud. Too dangerous. My punishment for disobeying -- and for being good -- was often to be raped. I was trapped.
But for one amazing gift. And, indeed, it was magical.
My Fairy Godmother was my Grandmother. She did what she could for that day in age, while keeping her place.
She bought me art lessons. And dance classes. And she took me to the planetarium. And to Broadway musicals. And to Disney movies.
My grandmother rescued me the only way she could -- so when violence shook my little kid world, from four-and-a-half all the way up to when I left for college -- I would hear Disney songs in my head "when you wish upon a star" and "a dream is a wish your heart makes,"and I would transport myself to another world by reading, or drawing cartoon characters I'd created, or spinning in circles and dancing.
And I would look to the stars -- in the velvet black night and beyond the velvet curtains -- knowing that there is magic and dreams do come true.
Once Upon A Time -- magical words that draw you in and promise you wonder. That's the first phrase I looked up in MAGIC WORDS: A DICTIONARY by Craig Conley. He quotes Dale Carnegie, saying these are "the magic words that open the floodgates of a child's imagination."
Not only that, to all children -- especially for those who are abused and tormented and violated -- "once upon a time" means a powerful new place of hope and safety. A place where wishes can come true. A place where anything can -- and does -- happen.
Transcending the trauma takes magic, as well as patience and faith.
Words -- as a five year old -- I whispered, wanting to be rescued from the violent pedophile who lived in my home: Bibbidy-Bobbidi-Boo. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother's magic words. MAGIC WORDS says the origin is a Celtic spell which meant to "direct a thrown javelin or fired arrow unerringly to its intended target." That is powerful, indeed.
I interviewed Chuck Palahniuk years ago about his book LULLABY, which was about a culling spell -- a nursery rhyme that kills those who hear it spoken. So I asked him if he believes in magic. And Chuck tells me this wonderful story about intention. "He says a prayer is intention. A spell is an intention. A mission statement is an intention. I believe in intention." He says "you have to go out on a limb and set ridiculous goals." His first novel FIGHT CLUB wasn't even selling out its firrst printing when he declared in public that it would make the NY Times bestseller list. Which we know now it did. Chuck says declaring your intention in public does three things -- it gives you an impetus, it's a rallying cry, and it's a public gun to your head because you risk humiliating yourself if you fall short.
Magic. Intention. Prayer. Spells. Mission statements.
As a child, I prayed with my heart to be rescued, but I never said the words aloud. Too dangerous. My punishment for disobeying -- and for being good -- was often to be raped. I was trapped.
But for one amazing gift. And, indeed, it was magical.
My Fairy Godmother was my Grandmother. She did what she could for that day in age, while keeping her place.
She bought me art lessons. And dance classes. And she took me to the planetarium. And to Broadway musicals. And to Disney movies.
My grandmother rescued me the only way she could -- so when violence shook my little kid world, from four-and-a-half all the way up to when I left for college -- I would hear Disney songs in my head "when you wish upon a star" and "a dream is a wish your heart makes,"and I would transport myself to another world by reading, or drawing cartoon characters I'd created, or spinning in circles and dancing.
And I would look to the stars -- in the velvet black night and beyond the velvet curtains -- knowing that there is magic and dreams do come true.
Labels: Chuck Pahalniuk, Craig Conley, Disney, FIGHT CLUB, LULLABY, MAGIC WORDS: A DICTIONARY, magic., transcending the trauma
posted by Diana Page Jordan @ 4:57 PM
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