I Ain't No Damsel In Distress And I Don't Need To Be Rescued

[desertions]

You know what bothers me?
When people label me.
It happens alot too, and it always has

I've always been seen as the depressed chick
Or the girl who yells alot
The dirty liar
Or to my family, I'm the emotionally fragile one who they expect to kill/hurt herself every other day

And yes, I've been alot of these things
I have had an unreasonable temper at times
Yes, I've been emotionally unstable at times as well
But I am trying to change damnit!

I am trying to be a bigger and better person and no one gives me credit for it
I have improved in so many ways, I know I have
Why can't they give me any credit?

They're all so afriad that as soon as I'm on my own it's inevitable that I'll crash and burn
Yet, what proof do they have of this?
None!
I just want some credit, validation if you will

I have struggled so hard to get this far
Yeah, sometimes I indulge too much
Goof off when I shouldn't
But I think I've earned it, alot of people could not of handled what I have

I am not a stupid kid
I am not some fragile doll
I know what I'm doing and I can take care of myself

Because you know what?
Waiting around for someone to save you doesn't work
I've tried it, it only leaves you dissapointed
So I decided to save myself instead
Is that so wrong?

I know they'd prefer if I was like my cousins
All so perky and happy
Perfect grades, good social lifes, none of my "instability"
But you know what, I am what I am
And if you can't accept that, that's your problem

Oy...

Song of the Entry:

Not A Pretty Girl by Ani Difranco

I am not a pretty girl
that is not what I do
I ain't no damsel in distess
and I don't need to be rescued
so put me down punk
maybe you'd prefer a maiden fair
isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

I am not an angry girl
but it seems like I've got everyone fooled
every time I say something they find hard to hear
they chalk it up to my anger
and never to their own fear
and imagine you're a girl
just trying to finally come clean
knowing full well they'd prefer you
were dirty and smiling

and I am sorry
I am not a maiden fair
and I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

and generally my generation
wouldn't be caught dead working for the man
and generally I agree with them
trouble is you gotta have youself an alternate plan
and I have earned my disillusionment
I have been working all of my life
and I am a patriot
I have been fighting the good fight
and what if there are no damsels in distress
what if I knew that and I called your bluff?
don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down
whether or not you ever show up

I am not a pretty girl
I don't want to be a pretty girl
no I want to be more than a pretty girl