*EDIT* forgot...

why is it that second-hand compliments make me so happy?

it makes no sense.

it's not logical, or rational, or NORMAL at all.

I watched Pride & Prejudice in class yesterday and today (and critiqued it... MORE SMILES!)... and there was that whole talk about being "accomplished."

I like to imagine that I could have been called "accomplished" then. I found the quote (since I'm too lazy to type it) ...

"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

"Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.

"Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman."

"Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it."

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved."

"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

I love this. It's so characteristic of that time.

So anyways, I'd always imagined myself as the "accomplished woman." Aside from the "air and manner of walking" thing, I dunno if that would ever be possible. But it was all just imagination.

Then, today, a good friend of mine remarked that another one of the people I very much admire asked her, "Is there anything she can't do, that a girl can do?" (speaking of me... I do a lot of random stuff, none of it extremely well but I do it anyways.)

*blush*

To which my friend (who knows me very well) replied, "She can't run!"

(true that. I also can't cook. and I hate Chemistry.)

Kathryne