Sweet Sixteens: Spindles and Stons

Where did the idea of a "Sweet Sixteen" originate, I wonder? What is so special about the sixteenth birthday, specifically in the life of a girl? Has anybody else ever wondered about this? I feel like fifteen makes more sense as a special birthday, because it's right smack in the middle of the teenage years. Or, if whoever came up with this idea desperately wanted the phrase to be alliterative, why not Sweet Seventeen? What's so special about sixteen? And, most importantly, did this idea spark or spring from the fact that sixteen is the most famous fairytale princess age ever?

You should know who I'm talking about based on this post's title: Aurora. Briar Rose. Sleeping Beauty. My favorite princess when I was little. Whatever you want to call her. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she pricked her finger on the spinning of a spindle wheel..... wait..... am I saying that right? Oh, who cares. She pricked her finger on the spinning of a spindle wheel, and DI-- fell into a deep sleep. Maybe for one hundred years. Maybe for about two days. It depends on whom you ask.

Disregarding the whole spindle/deep sleep incident, she really had a pretty sweet sixteenth birthday. There was fireworks and dancing, she finally got to meet her parents, there was a boy and a first kiss involved..... What more could a teenage girl want?

As it turns out, a lot more.

Like, a whole Dark murderous World of more.

At this point, you're probably wondering what made me want to write about Sweet Sixteens (well, actually, I doubt you were, but for the sake of my narrative flow let's assume you were). Well, I'll tell you: last Friday my best friend in the whole wide world turned sixteen. She hosted a massive party with all sorts of illustrious and borderline crazy literarily-minded guests. We played one of those murder mystery dinner games where anybody could be the murderer and everybody's trying to solve the crime (I was the murderer, by the way, so, um, fear me and stuff). There were no fireworks, there was very little dancing, and absolutely no mention of boys except those of the famous and/or fictional variety.

Then, on Thursday (or perhaps I ought to say Thor's Day), she received her birthday gift from me. It was pretty low-key.

Sorry. Bad pun.

Moving on.

Yesterday, Thor: The Dark World was released in theaters. But we saw it on Thor's Day as part of a 3D marathon that included the first Thor movie and The Avengers. We laughed, we fangirled, we cried internally, we fangirled, we ate popcorn, and above all we fangirled. It moved us. After all, the first two movies were as amazing as they ever were, except that they were better because they were in 3D, and The Dark World..... gourd. It was..... just, oh my gourd. Fantastic. Marvelous. (See what I did there?) I still have a Dark World high. I can't stop thinking about it. I keep thinking about Tom Hiddleston and Christopher Eccleston (they're the Stons mentioned in my subject line). Hiddles I've loved since the first Thor movie. Eccles I've loved since Doctor Who, maybe even before that (I'd seen him in two movies before I started watching DW). Seeing them both, hearing their voices..... and the special effects..... and Hemsworth's glorious Thor voice..... and the storyline..... and the comedy..... and..... just GOURD.

See, get it, it's Jerry Gourd and he looks surprised, so.... I keep saying oh my gourd..... because I'm..... surprised..... oh, alright, fine, I'll stop with the wordplay.

Anyway, it's gotten me thinking: what has set us apart? Why is it that most girls want big girly parties when they turn sixteen, and we want murder mysteries and superheroes, clues and Christophers (did I mention that Chris Evans has the most wonderful cameo in the history of cameos in the Dark World? 'Cause he does), friendship and fangirl spasms? Why is it that, in a room full of fanboys who actually read the comic books and girls who came just because Chris Hemsworth is pretty, it felt like we were the only two literally gasping for air? Is it a birthright or the way our parents raised us? Or has God (you know, the one God who doesn't dress like that) (kudos if you get the reference) just chosen to bless us with marvelous nonconformity?

I've got to start planning my sixteenth birthday now. I've only got six months. (Insert smiley winking face.) Unfortunately, I don't know of any amazing movies coming out around it. I guess I'll have to think of something else. Something random. Something unexpected. Something that's never been done for a Sweet Sixteen before. Mystery. Magic. Music. Marvel. Mayhem.

Spindles and Stons.

~Pearl Clayton