A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
- Nelson Mandela
A great many people think that polysyllables are a sign of intelligence.
- Barbara Walters
A couple friends from Houston are in Portland this weekend for a Mensa gathering, which set me to thinking. I’ve always been curious about Mensa; I’ve taken numerous IQ tests, and I generally test out at about 148-150. I may not be smart enough to grasp the significance of those numbers, but evidently it means I can generally tie my shoelaces absent outside assistance.
My curiosity has always remained just that, perhaps because of my Groucho Marx philosophy on such things: never joining any club that would have me as a member. I’m also thinking I’m frankly just scared to take their test; perhaps I’ll discover that I’m nowhere nearly as smart as people give me credit for, and that I’m really best suited to be a greeter at WalMart or in some other capacity where I’m kept a safe distance from money and sharp objects.
Or perhaps it’s that I’m just smart enough to know that I don’t need to pay a membership fee to a group who will accept me as smart in order that I feel validated. I think I’d rather spend the money on Kenny Chesney tickets.
I know I’m intelligent. I also know that membership in a society comprised of people whose intellects leaves me feeling as if I need to be fitted for a drool bucket isn’t a prerequisite for validation. Maybe someday I’ll take the test and see if I can make the grade. Until then, I’ll do my best to continue channeling my inner Stuart Smalley:
I’m good enough, smart enough, and, doggone it, people like me! Well, most people like me. I think….
That should keep me going for awhile.
