On the list of women I admire, Audrey Hepburn and Anne Lamott are at the top. Both experienced unbelievable heartache, but survived with impeccable grace, albeit in very different ways.
Audrey was private, disciplined and demure, handling herself with enviable nobility and grace in any situation. Anne is shockingly honest, irreverent and self-revealing, channeling the source of her grace through side-splitting writings.
Audrey was kind and always looked perfectly stylish. After a lifetime of battling hopelessly frizzy bangs, Anne has surrendered to dreadlocks. Having read extensively about the lives of both women, I could go on, but will present my conclusion instead:
Though I envy the regal Audrey H., my reality is much closer to Anne's. I like them both, but am sure that Audrey would be embarrassed of me; I eat too much and say unrefined things that I later regret. Anne and I would have a hoot, if it weren't for the fact that she probably already has enough friends and is likely wary of people wanting to be her friend just because she's famous. Not me, even if she loses all her fame and never writes another word, I'd still take her out to lunch or let her stay in our guest room is she needed a place to stay. I'm pretty sure she'd like my other friends, too.
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4 comments:
Don't know much about Audrey H, but I envy her style. What I know about Anne, I greatly admire. Both are worthy to strive to be like.
I've read some Anne...with Kelly (and L too!) -very real which I always appreciate.
Good night, but can I relate to this! Having read a couple of Audrey Hepburn biographies and stared longingly at her lovely skin, oddly beautiful elfin face, and tiny frame enrobed in the most simply elegant clothes, I too have a great deal of respect for the woman, not just for her style but for enduring such hardships with grace and compassion. Just like Anne, to whom physically and practically speaking I can much better relate. I just can't help thinking, though, that even in the worst circumstances, life and the world would seem so much more bearable if when I looked in the mirror I saw Audrey's face instead of my Anne-like wild hair, wrinkled forehead, etc.... But if I could have only one of them over for dinner, it would be Anne all the way. And isn't that what life should be about--surrounding ourselves with people we love sitting around a dinner table with? I have a feeling she'd actually eat, too, and not say a word about dieting.
D--you are WAY too hard on yourself. You are beautiful.I do understand what you mean, but I'm actually not convinced that Audrey's life was much better than Anne's, despite her looks. She had some pretty miserable relationships and only found true love at the end of her life. Compared with that, we are extremely blessed!
Yes, it's all about spending life with people you'd like to sit down to a long dinner with. Or, it is my prayer that we will live 'just down the street' from close friends who we can see on more of a daily crockpot-sort-of-basis too. Being a stay at home mom with friends around the corner would be really nice. We could take our kids to the park together, take walks, lunch, etc. This is my Portland prayer. Anyone want to move around the corner from us?
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