Talents

Today while listening to the Met Opera station I mused about what the singers might have been like as children. Did their parents recognize their young child had a 'gift' or was it a mentor later in their life? Did they love singing? Did they start singing the moment they got up and not quit until their siblings threatened their very lives? What if they didn't love what they did - would they make it to the Metropolitan Opera House? I doubt it.

Then I thought about myself (let's call it introspection rather than selfishness, OK? That will make me feel better). Do I have any talents like this? Hmmm. None that I could think of. I can do lots of things but none really well. For example, I can design and sew clothes (I did my own prom dress), but I'm not a sewing genius. I can ride a bike, but Cycle Oregon? No way. I'll leave that to two of my sisters. I can cook, but will my children eat it? Sometimes. I can draw, but I'm more of a Picasso (maybe that's why his art appeals to me) than a Rembrandt. I can play the piano but not well enough to play in front of people. You get the picture.

So, what sets the Met Opera people apart from people like me? They have what it takes, but I'd like to think I do too. They have studied their craft. Perhaps this is where I've gone astray. Mediocrity comes easily. They have spent countless hours practicing and studying to the point of near perfection. Few of us are prodigies, but even they hone their craft for hours upon hours, day in and day out.

I am no prodigy, but I have resources available to me to excel in any area I determine. So, should I take up basketball? At 6' I'm tall for a female, but short by WNBA standards. I like basketball, particularly when I can sink a shot faster than my teenagers and husband. But, what I lack is the desire. If I had to go out and shoot hoops and run for hours on end, I don't think I would like it so much anymore.

So, what is something that I could do for hours and not get tired of it? The answer: Make up stories. I was about to go on a tangent about a Project Management class I took, but I will save it for another post. My point to all of this is that I have the resources and the desire to be a great writer, now I just have to put it all into action. Study my craft and minimize my distractions and work at it every day. Someday I hope you'll read something I've written besides this blog.

Is there a talent you are pursuing? Keep at it and for all you writers out there, Write On my friends!