Why I Want To Be Anne Shirley

     "If you could be any fictional character who would you be and why?" Just one of the many questions written down on the many index cards in a pile on my living room floor. My housemates and I have spent many hours playing The Question Game because we're nerds that love ice breakers and love talking about ourselves. This is the question I have been waiting for. Anything about books or fictional character I've got in the bag. So why am I suddenly staring at this question like a deer in the headlights? This should be easy say a name and give a reason. But I think...no this is important. This is me telling everyone who I wish I was. Who I want to be. Who I dream about becoming. This defines me. I think of every girl, teenager, and even woman that I have heard answer this question with things like, "I want to be Bella Swan." All I can think when people say that is why? Why would you want to be Bella Swan? Or girls that want to be Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White. What makes you want to be them? Is it because of the guys they get? Their beauty? The "happily ever after"? What is it that makes being them so appealing? Don't get me wrong I love Disney Princess movies...my personal favorites are Tangled and Mulan but come on. Snow White ran away and lived with men she didn't know and then fell into a trap rendering her helpless until a man she didn't know kissed her. Exact same scenario with Sleeping Beauty minus the men, instead she lives with magical grandmothers. Cinderella, I love watching Cinderella....Cinderella 3 is actually pretty speculator. But, I have never wanted to be her. She marries a guy that didn't even recognize her until she had on a certain article of clothing. So I thought who would I want to be a why? Hermione Granger would be a good choice...but no that's a little too far fetched, plus I mean I've been a fan of Harry Potter for exactly 3 months. Mulan? I mean come on she saved an entire country, but I would really rather not be a Disney Princess. I want it to be someone I've read about, watched, and admired since childhood. Someone realistic. Someone real...as real as a fictional character can be. Someone who when I have daughters of my own I'll feel comfortable handing them her books and movies and saying here...when you play make believe, believe you are her. I pray my daughters never wish to become Bella Swan. So I thought, and as you can probably guess, I would be Anne Shirley.

     Anne Shirley is as real as any fictional character can be. She has flaws, oh does she have flaws. She has family problems (she doesn't have a family until Matthew and Marilla). She deals with insecurities about her appearance. All she wants is to be loved, appreciated, accepted, and taken care of. She's a dreamer. She's misunderstood...she is essentially a real emotional girl. She finds a family and they love her for her and through their love she comes to understand her value and worth. She is physically a beautiful woman and after she struggles with her red hair she learns to accept it as part of what makes her beautiful. Plus I love gingers and kind of want to be a ginger to the red hair for me would be bonus points of being Anne Shirley. She is so incredibly smart. She is smart and she doesn't hide it or play dumb. She excels at school, does her very best, gets an education, and uses that education to better herself and help other people. She is bold. Anne Shirley is never timid about what she believes or wants...and yes she should learn some tact but at least she doesn't let people walk all over her. She is strong so strong! She overcomes, adjusts, heals, and is restored always coming to the other side of a trail as victorious and not a victim! If we're going to venture away from the books and strictly into the movies she traveled the freaking globe in order to find and save her husband. Woman kicked some butt! Look at the books, she is still just as amazing and strong even without plowing through war torn lands.
     She doesn't need a man. Granted she end up with the perfect  man aka Gilbert Blythe and everything in me ached for her to end up with him sooner than she did, she still didn't spend every waking minute of her life fawning over him, (like I do, ha-ha.) Do I wish she would have spent a little more time fawning over him and less time holding a grudge over being called Carrots? Yes, yes I do. Besides, we all know Gil is another reason why I would want to be Anne. But, between breaking his heart, him breaking her heart, them becoming friends, dating other people, being single, becoming best friends, falling in love, and accept the falling in love she lived her life. She did not determine her life based upon Gil and what he was doing. Even when she was hurting over him she lived. She went to school got a job, and touched the lives of those around her. She took care of Marilla, and even bettered herself for marriage. Then yes she does marry a man and falls helplessly in love and that is NOT a bad thing it's an amazing thing...but she did it at the right time and she never needed him to determine her worth. She was confident in who she was as an individual and that's what we need before we need a man.

     She also had a great best friend. They were so different but they loved and cared about each other. Every girl needs a bosom friend that will be there no matter what and she had that! They weren't catty or gossipy or got jealous. They were friends. They recognized strength and weaknesses and instead of shaming or bragging the helped, encouraged, and strengthened. That's how friendship is supposed to work! Sure they had their problems  but they got through it. They did things too! More than just sit around and talk about boys. They went on adventures, they read books, and wrote...oh my goodness Anne and Dianna are the epitome of the friendship that I want to have and want my daughters to have too. They valued each other and didn't throw one another under the bus.

     Things I want to do that Anne does or that I admire. Reasons I want to be here (basically a repeat with different words.) She is book smart and street smart, she is bold, she's a published author (my dream!), she's beautiful, she's strong, she's passionate, she's independent, she knows how to have a great friendship, she's an amazing mother, she gets Gilbert Blythe I mean hello, she takes care of her family, she has her head on straight, she's a ginger, her vocabulary is extensive and impressive, amazing imagination, she chases her dreams, she makes things happen, she loves deeply, she is loved deeply, she leaves an impression on everyone she meets, people don't forget her, she is mesmerizing, and she stands her ground. She is who I've wanted to be since I was a little girl.
     When I have daughters I will hand them books because I want them to read. I want them to fall in love with books, characters, and go on adventures just as I have. However, I will be selective in their reading. I don't want to raise daughters that think Bella Swan is a role model. Or daughters that just sit around accomplishing nothing while they wait for their "prince to come". I don't want them to attract the Edward Cullens, Christian Greys, and Prince Charmings of the world. I want my daughters to imagine themselves being strong and courageous. I want to raise daughters that go outside and pretend to be Hermione Granger, Cassie Logan, and Anne Shirley. I want them to attract the Ron Weasleys, Gilbert Blythes, and Moes of the world. I want to be Anne Shirley, Hermione, or Cassie. I want to be Mulan. I say this because what we read and see shapes our very being. The first fictional character we fall in love with we will always be in love with. The first heroine we read about is who we will try to become. I don't know about you but I want to be strong, brave, confident, and a world changer. So if I would be any fictional character...I would be Anne Shirley and that's why. Want to know a secret? I am.

~ Carrots

“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.” 
― L.M. Monstgomery, Anne Of Green Gables