The manic-pixie girl trope claws at this desire: a forceful existence that torches everything which inhibits. She embodies what many wish they could do or be. A free spirit, a lighter, kerosene. Envy transfigures into a love for what seems unreasonable. And unfortunately, Codifying it as a Trope extinguished the real possibility. To live so freely — redefining rules, dreams, and boundaries — has been banished as fictional.
Let’s not banish it. You’ve just this small segment of time here. Why not become the manic pixie you love? It’s possible.
If you see a social convention as stifling, or a wholly negative artifact from a past generation, you’re welcome to deny it. You can strike up a random compliment to a passerby if you feel it’s right. We should feel free to break the script if it is just tying people up into a corner. To rip and glue the common ways of living into a something else, to pass onto future others.
Now I’m not saying one ought to turn into a loose cannon. Consistency is a quality trait to have; it’s the reason we rely on the script in the first place. Some scripts are there for good reason! I just hope people are consistently following the script they modified. After some consistent, careful consideration, they toss the parts they don’t like.
It’ll take some courage. When you go unscripted, you’ll have to fill in what works. Sometimes it won’t. But preparing your own manuscript is a lot more satisfying than staying in a static play with a sure end.