copycat

"Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else."

 -Judy Garland

    I was part of a conversation last night about individuality and originality. Of course like everyone, I have been copied, and I have been a copier. Although they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, sometimes isn't it downright annoying? My friend Kathryn wrote all about this on her blog this morning. And instead of just leaving a comment I wanted to share with you the quote listed above by Judy Garland that I have sort of tried to live by since I first discovered it in high school. In high school all of my friends were dancers and soccer players. Of course since that was cool thing to do I also wanted to be a dancer and a soccer player. Well, fortunately for all of us I didn't take me very long to figure out I am painfully uncoordinated. It was a little bit of a let down, but on to plan b. After this phase I discovered other activities like Yearbook, that I really loved and excelled at. It was hard lesson to learn, but I'm grateful I had the chance to find things that I am good at and that I love, because I'll be honest I never really loved soccer or dance. The point being, we all owe to ourselves to respect the person that we are. It doesn't mean we can't admire others for their skills and talents, but it does mean we should find our own voices in this world. 

*This Norman Rockwell print has always been one of my favorites