If you are an ugly duckling, consider yourself in good company. You are not the first, and almost certainly not the last. Many famous ugly ducklings have preceded you. I will supply a list of some of the more significant ugly ducklings of the last century:

1.) Bert, from Sesame Street. Bert was not as cute as many of the other muppets, and never got as much attention as Ernie. He was a rather misanthropic puppet, probably for this reason. However, if he had been born with better looks, he probably would have been more friendly and likeable.

2.) Judge Judy. She is a firecracker of justice, but it is clear to see that she developed her bitter charm as a result of being stood up for dates so many times in high school. If she had been born cuter, maybe she would have been happy to have a career as a ditzy blonde secretary.

3.) Chef Boyardee. He was teased and ridiculed in cooking school for being "too square." While other students were busy trying to belong to beatnik poetry cults or trying to be the next Marlon Brando, Chef Boyardee stayed up late on Saturday night trying to make the perfect ravioli. If he had been gifted with good looks, maybe he would have been a Sears catalogue underwear model.

While it's clear that we all could have been something else if fate had chosen to intervene, the truth is that if we have been born an ugly duckling, we must play the hand of cards that we have been dealt. Just like Bert, Judge Judy, and Chef Boyardee, we can still carve out a distinguished path in this world for ourselves.