Once upon a time you were told that if you got an education and worked very hard, three lovely fairies would descend from the heavens and sprinkle you with fairy dust. They would then whisk you off to the ball in a stunning Monique Lhuillier or Reem Acra gown, paired with vintage Chanel pumps. There are no glass slippers in this story because everyone knows that if you do wear glass slippers, those things better be at least 6-inches high and your stage name is, Bubbles.

As the story continues, you come to recognize that there is no fairytale without toils of labour and love. You find yourself having to wrestle rodents of unusual size, climb the cliffs of insanity, combat a Spaniard in a sword fight, and defeat a villain in a battle of wits by developing an immunity to iocane powder. All in the name of love.

The reality is we live in the real world and we face real world rogues; like economic downturns, global warming, and tea partiers. The villains we battle in real life cannot be defeated with a lance and shield. But even with the understanding of what is real and what is fantasy, you never seem to forget that once upon a time, you were also told to wish upon a star. And even though it has been said that times are hard for dreamers; you never really stopped dreaming now, did you?

I am a believer. I believe in a thing called love, I believe in the constitution, and I believe that if I dream big enough, I too can defeat the cruel and wicked. And one day, I will go riding off into the sunset on a white valiant horse with my Spaniard and Giant by my side. Dreams don’t come true if you just wait around for them to happen. And happily ever after doesn’t come to those who wait. Well, maybe for Rapunzel or the likes of Sleeping Beauty, but I’m no princess. I’m just your everyday girl trying to battle her way through her very own golden story book… with nothing more than a dream… and a pen in hand.

Not all fairytales go by the book. Times are Hard for Dreamers.