Not every ugly duckling is a swan.

Why is it that artists, poets, playwrights, novelists, scriptwriters all try to convince us otherwise? "Kiss enough frogs," they say, "and you're bound to find a prince. And if you're ugly now," so the story goes, "keep waiting and one of these days some prettier birds will recognize you for the swan you are."

Ha.

There are many beautiful people in the world. And yes, some of them started out as ugly ducklings. But there are ugly ducklings out there who will never grow up into swans. i should know. i am such a duckling.

And i'm fine with that. i mean, sure, it would be nice to be a beauty, but there's more to life than that. There's math and there's poetry, there's laughter and music...there's life. The fact that i don't really know how to live is beside the point.

The point is, i'm through with waiting around for someone to hold up the right mirror, so i can gaze into it and see a swan. The point is, i don't need to have someone pretend to my face that i'm beautiful. The point is, beauty is skin-deep, and i am deeper than my skin. The point is, i am not beautiful, and i accept that fact. The point is, i am - and always will be - an ugly duckling.

The problem is, i seem to be surrounded by swans.

But that's no longer a problem. Someone who does not have Picasso's talent can nonetheless appreciate Picasso's talent. Someone incapable of writing a novel can still enjoy novels. And someone who lacks beauty can simply admire beauty.

i am not beautiful, and i do not expect that i ever will be. But i've gotten by just fine as i am for the past 18 years...and i expect i'll get along just fine as i am for the however many years i've got remaining. My face may never launch a thousand ships - but my mind may create a thousand adventures at sea. And though i may not inspire great works of art, i may be inspired enough to create my own art, my own science - perhaps even my own definition of beauty.

so i'm an ugly duckling. so what? it could be worse...

i could be an ugly swan.