Tuesday, August 26, 2008

why I don't bother with rulers

I love the honest ones. The ones who don't hide their warts. The ones who will tell you exactly how they are when you ask.

I love the broken ones. The ones who have scuff marks and don't hide them. The ones who are more beautiful for their cracks.

I love the imperfect ones. The ones who can't draw a straight line. The ones who will tell you that they don't do everything right the first time, the second time, and maybe even the last time.

I love the fierce ones. The ones who are hard to love. The ones you break on like an ocean wave.

I love the messy ones. The ones who leave chaos in their wake. The ones who are surrounded by a cloud of uncertainty.

I love the unlovable, the unsociable, the hermit, the runt, the dirty kid with the freckles.

It's perfection and neatness and order that make me suspicious. I don't trust someone who is neatly ironed and always ready early. I don't think such a thing really truly exists - and the ones who put that out there are spending an awful lot of time creating a facade.

Real is unkempt. It is unruly. It is loud. It is lapped over the edges of the box. Real is beautiful to me because it's how and who I always want to be.

9 comments:

Amanda said...

That's beautiful!

M said...

Oh dear...I do love you, my friend.

As I drip tears and snot all over the Husband's key board.

And yet...we nearly always try to at least camouflage those characteristics...at least for a little while. Or maybe that's just me. Maybe it's a youngest child thing--the whole at least pretend to be normal in public thing so as not to mortify the rest of the family.

My --ber resolution is to just be me. Even in public. Even when it's messy.

Fiona Picklebottom said...

LOVE this post! Perhaps because I AM the dirty kid with the freckles. :)

artemisia said...

This:

"I love the fierce ones. The ones who are hard to love. The ones you break on like an ocean wave."

was my favorite description.

Alice said...

it's a good thing i don't try to hide my scuffs and cracks. i'd be one big plastic facade ;-P

wandering nana said...

Hey, I do get ready early.... sorry I hate to be late, can't help it, it is me (drives the Mr nuts). But... I am messy, I hate clutter but yet I have it... Anyway, don't hate me because I'm on time, it's one of my imperfections.

Susie Q said...

Love, love, love, this post. I like you, don't trust people too perfect or pressed. They make me nervous.

nutmeg said...

A beautiful post. An excellent reminder to stay real.

Alicia said...

The BEST people are the messiest people. I don't understand or trust anyone that doesn't see that.

As always, bee-auu-tii-ful!