The Chosen One

So here we go another blog entry on a another pop culture gem. Today I focus on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its been 18 years since the show first aired, and it's considered one of the greatest shows of the 90's. Those that know me well, know how much I love this show. First lets be honest growing up there wasn't many strong female characters on TV. I watched superhero shows, and read comic books. Batman was my hero but I still wanted a female hero that I could look up to, so at 10 years old seeing a teenage girl (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) kicking butt and still trying to maintain a normal life my attention was caught. The only issue, I was 10 and living in a strict household, my mom was afraid of what I was watching so she told me I couldn't watch it. Really mom? Well eventually I found ways to watch and she gave up and soon it became part of my weekly routine to see what adventure Buffy and the Scoobies were on. My inner romantic went nuts in the forbidden romance of Buffy and Angel (Not gonna lie I'm caught between the whole Buffy/Angel Buffy/Spike debate, but thats a whole different conversation), and finally felt that there was someone on TV I can relate to. It wasn't any of that Dawson's Creek nonsense it was Buffy. The violence, the teen angst and the thought that the apocalypse was coming was all I needed as I entered my preteen years.

Lets be very honest right now I was a strange child growing up. I always felt weird and different around people. I know my upbringing played a part in that. I was the tomboy who wore boys clothing, shy of my own image, played sports and rarely brushed my hair. While most girls would sit on top of cars and talk about boys, or making fun of me, I was out playing games of manhunt, getting dirty and learning to defend myself. I knew the struggle of arguing with parents who didn't understand me, or want to hear me out. I never felt like I belonged anywhere, and my comfort that things were going to be alright was in Buffy. 

Buffy Summers was not the average teen, she had a destiny, she had to fight and save the world, all while maintaining the normalcy that was expected of her, and no matter how hard she tried to "fit in" it backfired.  I'm not saying I was out there slaying vampires, nah chills, but I always tried to be one with the crowd, be accepted and instead I stuck out like a sore thumb, and yea I hated that feeling. Buffy helped show me that it was ok not to fit in. Things were going to be ok, that there were friends waiting for me that were gonna love me for who I am, and that I was going to be ready to face everything that comes my way, no matter how difficult it is. 

And I can't lie every day I put up the fight, I struggle with my issues, I work hard, try to maintain, I have some crazy ass awesome friends who have my back and yea while I'm not technically saving the world I'm kicking ass! And I guess I have to thank Buffy, well more importantly Joss Whedon for creating a character that I needed while growing up. Cause I'm cookie dough, and one day I'll realize I'm cookies.