Wednesday, January 30, 2008

What would you choose?

This post is inspired by a recent rereading of Anne of Green Gables. When Anne first meets Matthew, she asks him if he would rather be "dazzlingly clever, stunningly beautiful, or angelically good?" I was asking myself the same thing tonight. If I could be naturally one of the three: clever, beautiful, or good, what would I choose? (For the sake of the rules, you could still be moderately the other two. If you chose beautiful, for instance, you wouldn't then have to be dim-witted and evil. You could still be bright and want to be good.)
To be naturally angelically good would be fantastic. To never again have to fight with my conscience over unkind thoughts or an inappropriate word that slipped from my mind out my lips. But I'm afraid it would be boring. Would it be boring to be angelically good? Would an angelically good person think it was boring? That's the question.
And to be naturally stunningly beautiful would be awesome. Think of all the time it would save in trying to do the best with what you've got. You would just always look great. But again, would it be boring?
I'd have to go with dazzlingly clever. It seems to have the most scope for fun. (But really, does it matter? Has a genie offered me these choices? No.)
What would you choose?

13 comments:

Jonas said...

stunningly beautiful. This would cover a multitude of sins.

Lyle said...

This whole post reminds me of something Anne herself might have written. I am fairly certain that even though she always said that she would like to be beautiful in the end she would have chosen what you chose.

Keriann said...

I think I agree with you Emilee. Jon and I love the Anne of Green Gables Movies. We just watched them about a week ago.

Kent and Leisy said...

the angelic thing does sound terribly boring. clever is definitely the way to go... and I do think that you are halfway there already!

Denise said...

Emilee, you are dazzlingly clever! I think I could use a little extra dose of goodness and maybe as long as you kept a good sense of humor life would still be fun. Afterall, aren't we all aiming to be even more than "angelically" good?

Lyndsay said...

Do I foil my attempts to be clever by voting with the crowd? Here are my calculations:

dazzingly clever --> success and riches --> all forms of beauty enhancements.....

Hmm. Then you'd have two of the three. Angelically good. That's a tough one.

Cynthia said...

Emilee- you must have been Anne in your previous life for how clever you are! By the way, I finally started a blog. Check it out.

brittani c. said...

Lyndsay said it all in a nutshell. Being clever wins. As for being angelically good, relying on heaven's sources has its benefits.

Elizabeth Reid said...

Clever, for sure. And I must say I am impressed with your usage of a very "Anne" word: scope. She was always yearning for things and places that lent more "scope for the imagination."

Katie and Steve said...

In movies, the stunningly beautiful always die, so maybe not. But it would open doors that wouldn't be opened otherwise. The Deal or No Deal Girls didn't get there for their brains, and I am almost sure none of them are angelically good. :)

Rindi said...

Emilee,
Funny that you would even wonder upon such things. I find you very, very clever, incredibly naturally beautiful, and goodness just seems to flow from you. You can rest easy! I love Anne of Green Gables, and in the end it seems like she was all three as well. Goodness makes you beautiful to those who know you!
Also, I can't wait to go visit Anne's stomping grounds this summer when I visit my in-laws on their mission in Canada. Fun, fun, fun!!

Story Family said...

Kinda reminds me of a line my mom said so often a friend embroidered it on a pillow as a gift:

Be pretty if you are
Be clever if you can
But be cheerful if it kills you.

Actually, it's a completely different sentiment than what your blog inquires, but catchy nonetheless! Gotta love that Marcia.

Anonymous said...

I do believe, Emilee dear, if you are already all three of these things the question is moot! And since you and I are in fact... Stunningly beautiful (even if it is only to our children and occasionally our husbands) Dazzlingly clever (really I'm sure everyone thinks so/ at least on your part) and Angelically good (if only in the eyes of our maker) the quesion becomes quite silly! None the less fun to ask, even if it is only to receive wonderfully fancy comments about how pretty, smart and good you are! I say ask away... and reap the rewards! Never noticed it before and it has already been pointed out... You and Anne Shirley do remind me of one another! Teeehehhehehe.