The Devil Wears Prada

I just got back from watching "THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA" with a few friends of mine. While it was fresh in my head I thought would share my feelings on this movie. I was worried at first that I might give something "away" by sharing my take on the end of the movie, but based on the amount of comments I receive, I am pretty sure that no one reads my blog and that it is totally for me. If someone by chance happens to stumble upon, my advice is stop now if you haven't seen it and don't want to know what happens. Okay.... with that off my chest I feel I can continue.

As I watched this movie, it reminded me a lot of myself at several juntures in my life. Young wanting that break and wanting to succeed. (although my job was NO WHERE near that cool) I worked as an administrative assistant for an incredible asshole. The only difference was it was a man. It was more acceptable for him to be a tyrant...because he was a man. One day he turned on me and decided he could find someone to kiss ass better, (I was never good at that) and black listed me where he had the power, making it difficult to find another job within the same company. I finally succeeded in finding a job in a different area and was much happier with my less stress job. It was easy, but I couldn't see myself at this place forever doing something I totally was not interested in. I quit and went into something I had lost the clue about a long time ago....cosmetics. If you have seen the movie you will know the character in which I parallel. I didn't fit in at first, and then I figured it out. I dressed better, I looked more professional and felt more confident. I knew names of designers and could actually tell you if they designed jewelry or handbags. I actually cared about wearing lipstick and husband was wondering, "who is this person I married?" I dressed the part I thought I should be and began to want to be. At the end of the movie the "devil" says," This is what everybody wants, who wouldn't want to be like us?"
At that point the young assistant realizes she has given up her values and the people she loves. Instead of following her boss she gets out of the car and walks the opposite direction. When her Blackberry rings, she sees her bosses name on caller id and throws it into a fountain in Paris. (I am sure there is a name for this fountain, but I am not up on my architecture) I took her answer to be "I don't want to be like everybody else and if I don't do this I will have lost myself ending up being a horrible person. She was miserable because she was bound to her job. She had stuck around however, being sucked in by money, labels, and status. She was a slave. At one point, one of the characters said"when your personal life begins to crumble you know it's time for a big promotion" Oh is that true! I have watched it happen.
I thought the title of this movie meant that Meryl Streep was the Devil because, she was a bitch to work for and she wore Prada. Hello? I guess I am slow but it finally dawned on me that the poor girl sold her soul to the devil, (Meryl Streep) for cool stuff, and a chance for that awesome job we always dreamed of. How many of us do that? We do things we don't want because we think we have to. We let our true happiness go to be something we aren't. It might be rewarding and fun for a while, but then it is just hell.
The cosmetics job is no longer in the picture. I felt in a way I sold my soul. I changed who I was for stuff and a title. For the moment I feel like I have come to my senses. I get to enjoy my family and friends. This past year I have done a lot of soul searching, because I have felt so conflicted about being a mom and not a career girl like I always wanted. This is something I am sure many women deal with. For me I think as much as I love the other side of life, my children are going to be much happier that I am with them, instead of the mom that is gone all the time to that awesome job. I am a much happier and more content person than I ever was then. We have one life and I guess we have to choose how we want to be remembered and be happy with that decision. For right now I think I am making the right decision.