Hey, Y'all! This is the last day in my first-ever book give-away. If you haven't entered yet, please do. (Just click on the little blue "Contest" link at right, read the rules, and join up. It's easy!) LAST DAY, LAST DAY, LAST DAY!
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Happy birthday, Caden!
They drive us crazy, cause us grief, and make us humble. Yes, I'm talking about our simple human failings, the flaws that make us imperfect, and today I am grateful for our flaws -- not just for our fictional characters, but for all of us.
I remember a marriage counselor I knew who started early session by asking each partner to write a list of the traits he or she had most admired in the other when the pair first met. Since they came in angry, that usually took awhile. Then he asked them each to produce a list of the traits they found most annoying.
It was surprising how well the two meshed up. On his first list, the husband might say he had admired his wife because she knew her own mind. On the second, he'd call her stubborn. On her first list, the wife might say she loved how decisive her husband had been. On her second, she'd call him impulsive.
Our worst flaws are often extensions of our greatest virtues. Another way of seeing that is to recognize that what our advocates see as our virtues may seem like vices to our detractors. We can't be everything to everyone any more than we can always be perfect.
And so it is that today I salute flaws: yours, mine, and those of our fictional characters. Cheers for being human!
Hello from a newer ANWA member, visiting through my pun name. I followed and tweeted the contest. Tomorrow's the last day for my chocolate contest followers. http://sherahart.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThere's a link right after my flash fiction story if you want to read that and vote, or you can just scroll down five blogs.
oops. meant to say I agree with the flaw thing. Doesn't that go with turning our weaknesses into strengths?
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