Wednesday, June 20, 2012

And They Print You On Their Shoulder

Choose and Defend Wednesday is here and so are we, apparently :) Hi.  This morning, as I was driving to work, I was having some sort of very specific childhood memory. It actually made me feel a bit weepy...which is not so unusual. I'm a rather emotional person. In any event, it gave me the idea for today's Choose and Defend.

Some of you are parents, as I am, and I know you don't classify your children...I mean, I don't think as a rule people intend to do that to their children. But when you were a child, didn't you ever feel like you were filling some sort of niche or quota? I'm sure it is different in different families...there are probably endless combinations of how kids are characterized. But since this is Choose and Defend we must narrow things down to simple this or that.

So, with that said....which child were you?

The Pretty / Handsome One

OR

The Smart / Capable One


Maybe your parents made you feel that you were all of the above. I'm sure we all aim for that. But did you sometimes feel that compared to your siblings you were more one than the other? If you are an only child it might be harder to parse it out....but you can surely give it a shot! 

Choose and Defend. It's the right thing to do.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

You forgot option three: The creative one. And option four: The dead-end troublemaker. I might just have to bow out this week, as I don't think I was considered either of your options.

Secret Agent Woman said...

Hmm. I guess if I am limited to those choices, it'd be the smart one. I was the one who made the best grades, went on to grad school, and so on. (There were a bunch of us, so more than two types in my family).

Cindy said...

I was the 2nd of 5, a 2nd daughter to a chauvinistic father. 3rd child was first son. Oh, wait, you didn't want to know what made me what I am...
I was smart and capable to the point where they still don't seem to realize how much I could have used their help over the years.
- Cindy

AlienCG said...

Tough one Laura B. I've never had enough vanity to say that I'm the good looking one and my brother and I are both pretty smart. I'm going to say that I am the SMART and CAPABLE one, but not the only one. How's that? Did I get it right?

Tara said...

May I go with James Stafford's option? I loved to draw and also imagine that shampoo and conditioner bottles were people.

silly rabbit said...

Oh dear... I was neither really. Last of 5 kids, absolutely not the smart one and with a sister who was a model, I certainly was not the pretty one. But I was the artist and in that way I was considered one of the "capable ones".

laura b. said...

James: I didn't exactly forget. It was more like picking two sort of broad headings as contrasts. But I understand what you mean.
One for Creative / Troublemaker. There you go.

Secret: You know there is always a limit here...but comments count and help with the bigger picture!
One for Smart / Capable.

Cindy: Can't say I don't enjoy hearing what made you who you are.
And I have felt the same way re wishing I'd gotten more help at times. Two for Smart / Capable

Jasen: Hey Handsome! Stop that talk! But still, you answered with complete correctness for the purposes of Choose and Defend :)
Three for Smart / Capable.

Tara: Yes, you may :) Two for Creative / (not-so) Troublemaker.

Silly: Thank you for Choosing one of the choices! Since I seem to have given not the right choices this time I will give you the Jamesian Tarian option...Three for Creative / (?)Troublemaker.

Everyone: Well, this was difficult. I guess I made two choices pretty much based on my morning reverie. Sorry! But as always, you guys made it work.
We are now at 3-3...but one of the categories is entirely unexpected.
Three Smart / Capable and three of this new category Creative / Troublemaker :) Anyone else have something to add? It is your childhood to share.

Tara said...

Hehe, I like "troublemaker"! Muah ha ha!

FW said...

Difficult to know really but I was always treated as the not so bright one, so I'll go for handsome although that's only because I had to make a choice of the two presented.

laura b. said...

Tara: Nothing wrong with a little troublemaking :)

FW: Now that, my friend, is the spirit of the game. Now look at you, being both! One for Handsome.

Now Pretty / Handsome is in the game! 1-3-3.