Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I'm convinced that most people have talents and skills. Even if they don't excel in a given area, they're competent and well above the average. In my case, I have good reading retention skills, play a decent game of golf, and usually can write an intelligible sentence (though I often fail to edit sufficiently before hitting the "send" or "post" button). Through my work as a lawyer, I've learned to take a complicated set of facts and break them down into something understandable--a wise mentor of mine in the legal world told me that a lawyer's job is primarily to bring some order out of chaos so that clients can make good decisions.
At the same time, I believe it's the rare person who doesn't wish he or she had a talent or skill that is simply does not exist or will never happen.
I have two.
The first is math skills. I'm not math-phobic and am reasonably competent up to, say, Algebra I. I could help my children with homework up to that level, but I'd have to bone up each time, I wasn't a good teacher, and it just doesn't come naturally. At this point in my life, math is largely irrelevant--I doubt very much that the quadratic equation will ever play a major role in my life. But it's always bothered me that I just didn't get it and that each new step was painful. (It does give me some solace to know that my hero, C. S. Lewis, was utterly incompetent at even arithmetic, and his mind was as creative and lucid as anyone's).
The second would to be able to sing or play an instrument. I love choral music and the great symphonies. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir always moves me. I like opera. I'd give a little finger to be able to sing like Placido Domingo for two weeks. I'd love to sit down and play the piano by ear. The Good Lord blessed me with a great love of music, but I can't carry a tune and, having tortured a trumpet for year in junior high, I simply can't play a musical instrument.
At my stage in life, neither of these unrequited desires is going to be realized, and I've come to terms with that. I maintain a faint hope that in the next life these dreams might be granted. But I know it's not going to happen in this one.
So, Ricochetti, what talents do you pine for that, in your heart of hearts, you know you won't achieve?
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Comments:
Jul '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I wish I could sing well. My mom sang opera and played 20 instruments. My high school senior has the voice I dreamed of but never had, he's off to Carnegie hall this spring.
I know the lyrics to every song I've ever heard with every little inflection. I even have a good stage presence. Music plows through my head constantly but when it comes out there are breaking windows, not from the tone but from folks committing suicide by jumping rather than listening to me.
Jun '12
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I wish I could write with the skill of a William Buckley or Victor Davis Hanson.
Dec '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
Only 200 words
Feb '12
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
tabula rasa:
So, Ricochetti, what talents do you pine for that in your heart of hearts you know you won't achieve? · · 51 minutes ago
One of my best friends has this magical chemistry ... It's not just brains, though he's quite smart. It's not really charm; at least, it's not like what I see other people do when they're "charming." He just has this incredible ability to instantly make friends, develop trust, and impress people.
If I could do that, I wouldn't be living in an apartment desperately wondering where the money for next month's rent is going to come from.
Apr '12
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
Skill to know how to say what I mean so that the other person understands exactly what I mean.
Sense to know how much explanation someone needs and wants-- I'm constantly being told I over-explain or assume people know too much.
Dad and sister's ability with animals. Anybody know what a killdeer is? Small, long-legged bird. Their chicks look like little puffballs, run away from everything. My sister got one to walk on to her hand.
Meanwhile, my dad just gets along with things like feral cats as if he were one; he's able to catch barely-walking kittens, calm them down and turn them into (giant) house cats of legend without the feral cats minding at all, and some of those poor things were very poorly treated before those SOBs abandoned them at our barn. He even has a sense for when animals mean their "try it and I'll kill you" signals, though that might be partly a half-century of practice.
Jun '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
To which I would add Theodore Dalrymple (Anthony Daniels) and Charles Krauthammer.
Jun '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
Amy Schley
tabula rasa:
So, Ricochetti, what talents do you pine for that in your heart of hearts you know you won't achieve? · · 51 minutes ago
One of my best friends has this magical chemistry ... It's not just brains, though he's quite smart. It's not really charm; at least, it's not like what I see other people do when they're "charming." He just has this incredible ability to instantly make friends, develop trust, and impress people.
If I could do that, I wouldn't be living in an apartment desperately wondering where the money for next month's rent is going to come from. · 50 minutes ago
Great point. I'm not sure this is a talent or skill: I think it's something higher (though it can be misused by con artists).
The ability to connect with people can be developed to a degree, but like so many other great gifts, the best seem to be born with it.
My late, and deeply lamented older brother had that gift.
Jun '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
Same for me, though--unlike you--I can't remember anything beyond the first verse of lyrics.
If over-population ever really does become a major problem, a Doc/TR singing group (with compulsory listening) would be a major first step to resolving the problem.
Oct '12
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
Singing and playing music. I don't feel there is much else out there with time, effort, and maybe a lot of training I couldn't learn, except singing.
Jul '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
tabula rasa
Amy Schley
tabula rasa:
So, Ricochetti, what talents do you pine for that in your heart of hearts you know you won't achieve? · · 51 minutes ago
One of my best friends has this magical chemistry ... It's not just brains, though he's quite smart. It's not really charm; at least, it's not like what I see other people do when they're "charming." He just has this incredible ability to instantly make friends, develop trust, and impress people.
If I could do that, I wouldn't be living in an apartment desperately wondering where the money for next month's rent is going to come from. · 50 minutes ago
Great point. I'm not sure this is a talent or skill: I think it's something higher (though it can be misused by con artists).
The ability to connect with people can be developed to a degree, but like so many other great gifts, the best seem to be born with it.
My late, and deeply lamented older brother had that gift. ·
I have that particular je ne sais quoi. I would be a very wealthy man if I was amoral.
Jun '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
DocJay
tabula rasa
Amy Schley
One of my best friends has this magical chemistry ... It's not just brains, though he's quite smart. It's not really charm; at least, it's not like what I see other people do when they're "charming." He just has this incredible ability to instantly make friends, develop trust, and impress people.
If I could do that, I wouldn't be living in an apartment desperately wondering where the money for next month's rent is going to come from. · 50 minutes ago
Great point. I'm not sure this is a talent or skill: I think it's something higher (though it can be misused by con artists).
The ability to connect with people can be developed to a degree, but like so many other great gifts, the best seem to be born with it.
My late, and deeply lamented older brother had that gift. ·
I have that particular je ne sais quoi. I would be a very wealthy man if I was amoral. ·
Doc: We'll try to watch out when you begin a charm offensive. But if you're that good, we probably won't even notice.
Jul '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
TR, lets do this together,"Una paloma blanca..aaaaaaaahgh, I'm just a bird in the sky...."
May '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I wish I could write good. Or is it write well? (never mind) I also wish I could slam dunk a basketball, throw a baseball over 95 mph, swing a golf club properly.
Aug '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I can sing, but I can't read a note. I'm surrounded by musicians but have neither the patience, inclination or time to take on that effort. I'd like to wake up and "bing budda bing" it is all so easy! Likewise foreign languages - I want to be a polyglot. I spent years with French in HS and college and all for naught. And as I type this, if I think about it, I can't type. For me typing is entirely a subconscious thing.
Apr '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I wish I had a talent for reading people's emotions properly.
Dec '11
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
1- Photographic memory: I do read a lot and would enjoy endlessly quoting pearls of wisdom off the top of my head!
2- Singing voice: As with Doc and the TR, I so love music, it would be a wonderful gift to be able to participate in that rarefied world.
Jun '12
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
So many things I would like to do.
(1) Write perfectly in English Language
(2) Have a sense of direction
(3) Play the Cello and Piano
(4) Ability to Speed Read
(5) Ability to multi-task flawlessly
Aug '12
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I have many talents -but am physically non-imposing. I would like to be able to dance, and to do some type of sport well. I played football, where I was an OK defensive end, and at soccer, I was an OK defensive back, and in rugby I was an OK fullback. But I'd like to be good at one of them.
I'm hopeless at baseball and field hockey.
May '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I wish I were brilliant. As it is, I'm just smart enough to be aware and frustrated that I'm not really smart.
That, and I wish I could draw cartoon caricatures, since I often think up ideas for political cartoons but am unable to act on them.
Nov '10
Re: Talents You Don't Have But Wish You Did
I wish I could play the piano and organ, like this guy.
I also wish I could be eloquent in writing. I'm not the best speaker by any margin, but I can at least hold my own; but in writing I feel clumsy.