Pretty?

Roaming around the internet recently, I found a video of a woman reciting a poem called “Pretty.”  She talked about a time when she asked her mother, “Will I be pretty?”  You see, life had left her with a crooked nose, teeth that needed braces, and bad skin.  Her mother’s reply,

“Don't worry.  We'll get it fixed!”

In her mother’s eyes, pretty was all about the outward appearance.  A pretty face.  Pretty teeth.  Pretty skin.  In reality, being pretty goes much deeper than that. 

If you look at the word ‘pretty’ you will see that there are two main ways it can be used: as an adjective (pleasing or attractive to the eye but less than beautiful) and as an adverb (to hold to a fairly or moderately high degree).

So which would you rather be, an adjective or an adverb?

The practical side of my mind tells me it would be better to be adverb pretty.  There are many ways I am adverb pretty:  I’m pretty considerate, pretty courteous, pretty forgiving, pretty friendly, pretty honest, pretty optimistic, pretty positive, pretty responsible, pretty sincere, pretty serious, and pretty trusting, just to name a few because I am so much more.

To be adjective pretty is to be, well, pretty.  That’s it.  You’re just pretty.  Boring!!  Right?  Hmmm.  Let’s see about that.

I like the way the poet summed up her poem.  She said if her daughter ever asks, “Mom, will I be pretty?” she will reply,

“I will wipe that question from your mouth like cheap lipstick and answer, “No! The word pretty is unworthy of everything you will be, and no child of mine will be contained in five letters.  You will be pretty intelligent, pretty creative, pretty amazing. But you will never be merely 'pretty'.”

Perfect answer!!

 

Honorable Mention

When I was a little girl, my aunts and uncles told my mother that I was pretty.  Maybe I was…to my family.  Mom must have thought so because when I was about three, she entered me in a beauty contest for children held by some local photography studio.  I placed “Honorable Mention.”  My prize—an 8x10 portrait. 

Such is life.  We all can’t be winners.  Mom never entered me in any more contests after that.  What does that say?  Did she, like me, think that Honorable Mention meant I wasn’t pretty enough so why bother?  Why did I let some silly little no-name beauty contest peg me for life with a “you’re not pretty enough” label? 

I understand that being adjective pretty is very subjective.  What’s pretty to one is not necessarily pretty to another.  A few months back when I was still pinning on Pinterest, I posted a picture of myself showing off my curly hair for other curly-haired enthusiasts to see.  A perfect stranger, a woman looking to be in her late 20’s, commented on my picture and said, “You are so pretty.”  What?  Did she just say I was pretty?  OMG!!  That comment had an immediate effect on me.  My mood lightened.  I smiled.  It made my day.  No one had called me pretty since I was a little girl!

So there it was.  I finally had my day in the sun, the moment I had been waiting for ever since I received that “Honorable Mention” from all those years ago.  On that day, at that time, to that person I was pretty, and to that I reply,

 “I’m so pretty, oh so pretty.  I’m so pretty and witty and gay.  And I pity any girl who doesn’t feel that way.”

Smiles,

~ P

P.S.  Please, no comments telling me how pretty I am.  It’s too late.

To view the poem quoted in this post, please click the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6wJl37N9C0