Just Plain Ugly

“It is hard to be charming when you smell like a wildebeest.” –L. Liwag

African folklore tells that the wildebeest was the last animal to be created, and was made up of the leftover parts of several other animals.

I’d almost believe it.


A long face, humpback, scraggly back hair, and unkempt beard make the gnu a creature “only its mother could love”. A group of the things is even referred to as an implausibility. Implausible, perhaps, that enough of these unsightly beasts could endure to look at one another long enough to graze in the same plain? Wildebeest are not attractive.

How, then, have I fallen in love with the animal?

The gnus’ playful skip as they race my safari vehicle always makes me giggle. They’re unafraid to look you straight in the face. They stick together when the going gets rough; ever heard of the great wildebeest migration? Though far from cuddly, wildebeest are lovable.


Speaking of ugly animales…

Hello, pumba. You wallow in mud, you are a pig, you have wiry hair and a crest on your back, and you have things growing on your face. These strange warts protect you from the tusks of other hogs, but they’re still unpleasant.

You pray before and while you eat.
You all too often run away from frightening situations, waving your flaggish tail high for all to see.
You’ve developed protective growths to keep you safe from harm.

You are ugly.
You have a lot in common with me.

I pray before I eat.
I wave the "Christian" banner high while fleeing difficulty.
I’ve lived life in protective schools and situations, keeping me safe from the world.

What have these warts done for me? Have I been saved from blemish, untainted by the sin around me? Hardly. Just as a warthog’s warts cause people to look away in disgust, my protective barriers shove others away. I’m ugly. How can people be drawn to something like this?

Sugarcoating!!!