Are we all just looking for that happy ending? Do we just want to find a story that will lead us to that “… and they lived happily ever after” moment?

Really?

Why?

Orson Welles quipped very smartly, “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”

Now, isn’t that something to think about? A happy ending requires that you think about an ending to your tale. And, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want to think about the end.

Over the years, we have been brought up on fairy tales and movies, where the protagonist has, invariably, wished for something, and in most cases, they receive it, at the end. Their happy ending. Credits … The End!

Snow White wished for someone to take her away from her evil step-mother, who was out to kill her.

Rapunzel wished for a gallant prince to climb her tower and sweep her away, to a place where her mother (or so she thought) couldn’t keep her locked up any longer.

Cinderella, oh poor old Ella!  She longed to be away from her cruel step-sisters and step-mother, and had her eyes focused in on the prince of the land, glass slipper in hand.

See a pattern emerging here?

The movies have been no different – ET wanted to go home – Lassie travelled miles to find his own people – Frodo just wanted to get home and rid himself of that dang ring …

And, then it ended. Right? Well, sort of. Or, at least as far as the author will take us. Then, it’s up to our imagination to wonder what happened next. Although, the likes of the Once series, if you haven’t watched it, throws a lovely spanner into the world that is fantasy, making us rethink all those lovely happy endings. I loved it!

Did Snow live in the castle with her prince and have many children or did they divorce when she realised just what a dork he was? Did Rapunzel use her hair to save the good folk or did the Prince get tired of all her moulting? Oh, wait, I’m confused. I can’t even remember what the original story was of Rapunzel! Damn you, Disney!

Where was I? Oh, yes – Did Cinderella go off with her Prince, never to be disturbed by her step-family, or did they plot and plan to take over the Kingdom for good? And, would ET return one day? (Oh, right, Steven didn’t make a sequel of that one – wonder why?) But, it would be nice to know, right?

And, so you see, most of us would like to know more. We are not satisfied that what we are given is the ultimate ending. And, so then, why should we be satisfied with an ending of our own, happy or not?

Should we perhaps just be searching for happy and leave the ending right out of it?

Some say happy isn’t something you can find, but something you need to create, that we are the creators of our own destiny. I prefer that word – destiny – than that of – ending. Destiny, in its true definition, means that of a course of events, predetermined, yet inevitable or irresistible. Destiny is a power that pretty much determines our future.

But, if that were true, are we then really in charge of our own destiny, of the course of events that is our future? Can we manipulate what is, possibly, already planned out for us? In some ways, I do believe we can influence our future. And, the one aspect, that I believe can bend our future this way, is our attitude.

While those examples I gave are just made up stories, they all had something in common, besides the obvious happy ending pursuit, all the protagonists had a great attitude. Sure, there have been tales when the hero declared he or she was giving up and could not go on. But, most times, something or more accurately, someone, helped them to realise that they could in deed reach their happy ending.

A good attitude will, without fail, get you to a happy outcome, not ending, mind you, outcome. Your destiny can be filled with many happy outcomes, and you can continue on your trusty white steed to pursue many more outcomes laid out ever so carefully on your destiny’s road.

So that brings me back to my musings over whether we should be so hell bent on finding a happy ending, or rather just finding happy, and not worrying about the end part.

Bottom line?

Live life to the fullest – explore all the avenues – be kind to others along the way – think happy thoughts always – and most importantly – find someone to travel that happy road with, because, and if you cast your mind back to our fairy tales and movies, it’s not fun doing life on your own – and when finally, that ending does arrive one day, as it definitely will, make sure you are there with someone you love …

… or what was the point of getting there in the first place?