This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...

     Today (9/14/2011)  is the e-book debut of Talli Roland's newest novel Watching Willow Watts.  To celebrate Talli has organized an online 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' party.   It's a virtual costume party where we are supposed to dress up like the person or character we'd most like to be.


      The reason for this particular theme is that in Talli's book, the character Willow Watts is mistaken for a sort of reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe and begins to take on the role in order to appease adoring fans and make some money in the process.  Willow becomes Marilyn, who would you like to be?







 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...'


           I always struggle with a question like this--even in playfulness.  I can never think of that perfect life that I would like to enter if I could.  We all have our problems, but at least I know what mine are.


            In thinking about this question my first reaction was King Solomon.  He was one of the richest and wisest men who ever lived.  He had just about anything a man could want.  And on top of that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  Now what man doesn't dream of something like that?


            On the other hand, living with that many women would probably be a real challenge.  Maybe it would be fun for a while, but really!--That many women under one roof?   Besides old Solomon kind of pissed off God and that's something you don't want to be doing.  Maybe being Solomon wouldn't be all that great after all.


            So then I considered a famous writer.  Mark Twain wrote good material, traveled the world speaking to packed houses, and made some decent money.  He also lost a lot of money due to bad business investments.  If I were him I'd probably even make worse investments and lose more money.  


            Mark Twain had his triumphs, but he also had his share of tragedies in his seventy-five years of living.  It might be interesting to live in Twain's shoes, but maybe I'd rather read about him than actually be him.


            Even with the person with the sunniest facade you don't know all that they have felt.  Sometimes the great times a person seemed to have had may have been overshadowed by dark events that history told us about or that perhaps are kept in the secret places of that person.  So considering that factor of the unknown about the life of another, since I know what my life has been, where I am now, and whatever potential I see in my future, I guess I'll just come to the party as me.   I was never one for dressing up much anyway.
           





The links for Watching Willow Watts are:


         I plan to have my review of this book up on this site next Wednesday.  I've gotten a little behind on my reading.

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41 comments:

  1. Love that picture, Lee. Priceless. Yes, go as you are, that is the best!

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  2. A come as you are party! Nicely done Lee.

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  3. Haha, I had the same struggle! For each person I thought, "Yea, I want to be her!" I would suddenly think of something that would make me think, "Hmm, I don't think I would want to be her afterall." LoL! So I chose a Disney character, heehee!

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  4. Great picture Lee and a great choice,

    Take care.
    Yvonne.

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  5. Yep, I struggled with this too. Tons of famous peeps I admire, many whose talent I envy, but would I want to live their life? Nope, I'm likin' mine, warts & all.

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  6. Loved the picture Lee! ;-D

    I think I would choose to be "me" too.

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  7. I love your answer, Lee! All of it, the journey you took us to to get to the photo of you was really cool.

    I'd stay me, too. :)

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  8. Great choice. I do love Mark Twain. And I think your invisibility cloak is inside out.

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  9. Great picture. I've thought about who I'd like to be but if I was someone else I wouldn't have my husband, kids, or grandkids. So I guess I'd rather be me.

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  10. I have wondered about King Solomon a time of two. He was one special individual.

    Nothing wrong with coming as yourself, Arlee.

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  11. It's true that every life has its own hardships--I think those are what make us what we are. I'd only want a short run as someone else myself... not permanent. I think you've got a good choice here.

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  12. It took a long time but finally I decided who I'd like to be:-)
    Though I'm not much for dressing up, either - a sheet for a Roman toga is the height of my fancy dress;-)

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  13. Hi Lee .. great fun and I loved the way you filtered out Solomon and Mark (you couldn't usurp Roland!) .. and ultimately decided being you was best .. with your blanky .. cheers Hilary

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  14. Good for you!
    A thousand women - do you realize how busy you would be????

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  15. Your photo made me smile!

    Being someone else wouldn't be all its cracked up to be!

    The Write Soil

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  16. Glad you chose you Lee.... You'd be dead trying to please a thousand woman...

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  17. Shoot! I was planning to go to the party as ARLEE BIRD.

    OK, forget it! If I can't be who I wanna be because that person's already taken, then I'm just going to stay home and pout. ...Stupid party! :o(

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  18. The problem with wanting to be someone else is that you don't know all the secret details of other peoples lives. In comparison your own might just look a whole lot better if you knew. Better to stick with who you are and try to improve on that.

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  19. Great choice. I was considering Mark Twain myself.

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  20. My cats would love that blanket. They love blue. :) Would go nice with my couch.

    I would probably choose a Firefly character.

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  21. I love the list of those you considered being, but I love your final choice. As you saw I came to the same conclusion.

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  22. Love the picture, Lee! And love the post, great choice. I laughed about King Solomon and all the women LOL. :D

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  23. Good call on not going with Solomon, a thousand women, I love my wife, but I couldn't imagine the expectations I'd have to live with if I had that many women expecting me to fix the gutters or move the fridge. It's be awful.

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  24. Good choice passing up King Solomon - although you might then be able to give Judge Judy a run for her money :-)

    That's a mighty cozy looking blankie you've got there - maybe you could be Linus?

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  25. Really glad you passed on Solomon!

    Great choice and pic :)

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  26. Thanks for all your comments on this post. I guess there's not much point in addressing each one separately, but I did appreciate the sum total of them all. What a fun party!

    Lee

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  27. Love the pic lee, such a difference from the one you used for the guest post on my blog :)

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  28. Late party guest here, hope you haven't closed the door. :) Smart choice coming as you. You are one of the best members in an amazing community. Thank you for all you do for others.

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  29. I had no idea King Solomon had so many wives. What does one do with that many (rhetorical question, please don't answer). I took a closer to home approach to who I would be :)

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  30. LOVE the photo - brilliant! :) And you made me giggle at how living with so many women could be troublesome. I can only imagine!

    Thanks so much for taking part. I really appreciate it! And I'm sorry I'm just popping by now. I flaked out early last night! It was a manic day. :)

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  31. Brilliant! We'll party together as ourselves!

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  32. I struggled with this question too. Like you, sometimes I think it would be nice to be someone else, but at least I know my own problems, know my life, and know (sort of) what to expect!

    I laughed about the whole "living with that many women" thing. Too funny! And I love the picture :D

    Cheers,
    Jen

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  33. Glad so many of you liked the picture--I don't have many pictures of myself since I guess I'm usually the one here who takes most of the pictures.
    Talli-- enjoyed the party!

    Lee

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  34. What a fun picture! you look pretty cozy. :) It's nice to think of what ifs, but the truth is it's nice to be myself:D

    nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  35. Glad you chose to be you. Love the pic! Yeah, I couldn't imagine anyone dealing with that many women.

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  36. Who would I be
    If not me?
    Let me see.

    Someone who'd go on a spree?
    Someone who'd always be free?
    Someone who'd live near the sea?
    Someone who'd sit on a knee?

    Of all these choices, which is the key?
    It's so hard, you see,
    since they seem to be
    exactly the one--
    the one
    I call me.

    I know, don't tell me never to write poetry. I already know my tendency toward doggerel.
    But if you can curl up in a blanket, I can indulge myself in a bit of bad verse. :-)

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  37. What a fun look at King Solomon with a priceless picture at the end! Julie

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  38. Priceless picture indeed! LOL! I so agree about how we wish we were others when everyone has their positives and negatives.

    I once really wished I was the TV presenter Jill Dando. She was such a lovely person who then lost her life at the hands of someone with a gun and a grudge.

    So while I have joined in I do empathise with your sentiments.

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  39. Thanks for the ongoing comments. C.Lee--enjoyed the bit o' verse. You've got the start of a nice kids book a la Dr. Seuss.

    Lee

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  40. Loved the pic. For me it would be a toss up between John Glenn and Maxwell Smart.

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