Jesserella - a parable

Jesse just turned sixteen and goes to my niece's school. On her birthday she wore a t-shirt with Jesserella printed across the front of it, and very confidently (as a princess would) asked the kids in the lunch room, “Can I get in front of you? Today is my 16th birthday!” However, she was denied because the kids find her obnoxious.

Unlike a very similar story, Cinderella; Jesserella got to go to the ball on the first shot. She and her parents planned the Jesserella Ball together and invited one-hundred classmates. But because her obnoxiousness was known throughout the land - only eighteen of her classmates came to the ball.

Oh my skin crawled when I heard this tale. Thoughts of awkward teenage movies raced through my head: Muriel's Wedding, Mean Girls and of course Carrie. But what I thought of most was part of Tina Fey's 2008 Emmy acceptance speech. She thanked her parents for, “raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities.”

I don't know where Jesserella is today but I have a feeling she's still wearing her t-shirt and trying to get to the head of the line.