“When we heed our longing, we grow into our ‘swanlike’ nature.”
Most of us would have heard of The Ugly Duckling story. This is a story about self discovery. Written by Hans Christian Henderson (1805-1875), it is the most autobiographical of the Danish author's works. 
H.Topsoe-Jensen wrote, "H.C. Hendeson just like the ugly duckling, was the poor one, dependent on benefactors who did not understand him, tormented and mistreated, full of feelings of inferiority, enduring long and difficult times troubled by doubts about his own worth, but deep inside secretly convinced that the ‘hour of reckoning’ would come".
There was nothing romantic about H.C. Andersen’s childhood. Not only was his family poor, but it was also less than respectable. His parents barely married before he was born, his grandmother had been jailed for having too many illegitimate children, his grandfather was in the lunatic asylum, and his illegitimate half-sister worked in a brothel. Furthermore, he was an effeminate and ugly boy, with feet that were too big, limbs that were too long, and eyes that were too small. Yet, through his own merit, H.C. Andersen made his way to Copenhagen, gained royal patronage, and became one of the best-loved authors in the world.
H.Topsoe-Jensen wrote, "H.C. Hendeson just like the ugly duckling, was the poor one, dependent on benefactors who did not understand him, tormented and mistreated, full of feelings of inferiority, enduring long and difficult times troubled by doubts about his own worth, but deep inside secretly convinced that the ‘hour of reckoning’ would come".
There was nothing romantic about H.C. Andersen’s childhood. Not only was his family poor, but it was also less than respectable. His parents barely married before he was born, his grandmother had been jailed for having too many illegitimate children, his grandfather was in the lunatic asylum, and his illegitimate half-sister worked in a brothel. Furthermore, he was an effeminate and ugly boy, with feet that were too big, limbs that were too long, and eyes that were too small. Yet, through his own merit, H.C. Andersen made his way to Copenhagen, gained royal patronage, and became one of the best-loved authors in the world. The Story (an abridged version):
One summer, close to the moat of a manor house, a mother duck was nesting. One by one the eggs cracked, but an uncommonly large one remained. An old duck insisted it was a turkey egg and warned of the mother that turkeys were afraid of water. When it finally cracked, a large, ugly duckling tumbled out. Fearing he was indeed a turkey, the mother thought, “into the water with him, even if I have to kick him in.”
She brought her brood down to the moat, and one after the other the ducklings plopped in and they all floated splendidly, including the ugly one. “No, that’s no turkey!” thought the mother, “He’s my own alright!”Once in a duck yard, the others picked on the ugly one for he was so different. The ducks bit him, the hens pecked him, and even the girl who came to feed them kicked him. His sisters and brothers said they hoped the cat would take him, and eventually even the mother wished him far away…
… the duckling loved floating and diving, but the other creatures continued to reject him. One fall evening the duckling noticed a flock of beautiful white birds with long, graceful necks: They were swans! The majestic creatures spread their wings and flew away toward warmer climates. The duckling felt strangely connected. Although they soon disappeared from sight, there was no way he could forgot those stunning creatures.
Winter came …. and finally spring returned and the duckling tested his wings.
They made a strong swooshing sound as they carried him to a beautiful garden. When he landed on the water, he saw the majestic birds again, but this time they were coming toward him… He feared they might hack him to death for being so hideous. Accepting his fate, he bowed his head toward the surface of the still water and suddenly he saw his own reflection – he was himself a swan!His Response:
“Then he felt quite shy and put his head under his wing – he did not know what to do. He was too happy! But he was not proud, for a good heart is never proud! He thought about how he had been mistreated and mocked, and now he heard everyone say that he was the loveliest of all the lovely birds. The lilacs bowed to him, … and the sun shone so warm and bright. And then he puffed up his feathers, lifted his slender neck, and rejoiced with all his heart; “I never dreamt there could be so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.”
So what is the morale of this story? Mette Norgaard, in her book, The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work, argues that we do not succeed in life by having an enviable career; we succeed by finding where we belong and becoming the person we were meant to be. Just because we live with certain people, that does not mean we belong with them; we belong with those who share or encourage our longing. Also, just because we grow older, that does not mean we grow into who we were meant to be.
We grow into our essence only when our false self-images die and our true self is born.
.
source: Mette Norgaard, The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work
No comments:
Post a Comment