Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Authenticity Above All Else

'Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.'
--Judy Garland

8 Comments:

At 8:53 AM, Anonymous joe said...

Intersting choice, since she was forced into that startling skinniness by her handlers, and had her life run and run into the ground by others. Maybe it is a warning message to stick with your ideal of personal identity or perish.

 
At 9:18 AM, Blogger John Ettorre said...

You're absolutely right: this sentiment, coming from her, can be interpreted either as a cautionary tale to others to learn from her bad experience, or simply a bit of irony at her expense. I prefer to think it was the former. That she was advising others not to get caught in the same bind that she had experienced. In the end, we often learn the most from the most painful experiences.

 
At 7:32 PM, Anonymous carmen said...

Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.

-St. Frances of Sales

 
At 9:09 PM, Blogger John Ettorre said...

Now there's a lovely, pithy sentence. And from a first-time commenter (I believe), no less. Thanks for adding to the chorus.

 
At 9:21 PM, Anonymous carmen said...

Second time, and how do you keep track of all that, do you keep a file or something? Just wondered.

 
At 9:34 PM, Blogger John Ettorre said...

Thanks so much for that response, Carmen. Much appreciated. And no, I'm not that anal as to keep a file of commenters. It's just in my memory, which, as you've proven, is hardly infallible (we tend to remember what's most important to us).

If that seems surprising, think of it this way: are you likely to forget many people who you had over to your house for coffee, even if it was some years ago, and the conversation was only relatively brief? You probably remember most of them, if not all, and even if you might have forgotten a name or two and what you might have chatted about, you retain something about most of those encounters. And that's kind of how I think of visitors to this blog, as cherished house guests. I just hope you won't notice how scratchy the towels are sometimes.

 
At 9:39 PM, Blogger Diane Vogel Ferri said...

ah Judy - one of my true loves. I am a singer, but if I could've chosen I would have been given her voice - but not her life.

 
At 9:43 PM, Blogger John Ettorre said...

Yet another talent of yours we didn't know about, Diane. Next time our paths cross, shall I ask you to belt out a show tune, or do your tastes run more to classical or opera?

 

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