I have perfected the art of...
???Well??
I have perfect the art of nothing, so far.
I have always loved doing EVERYTHING!! I guess I'm decent at some things, okay at some things, really not so great at others, but I really like participating in all things :)
My fabulous husband focused on sports. Within sports, he focused on basketball. I loved playing basketball in high school. My teacher said I had a lot of 'heart' - she wanted everyone to have 'heart' like me when they played. She probably wished I had more 'skill'!! :) I rocked up to training, and rocked up to the games, and gave it all I had, and had a blast, but the minute I was off the court I was probably thinking about the next thing I was going to do or play. But James had skill and heart, and focus. He really studied basketball. He still does. He knows and understands all the technique, different plays, and a bunch of other different parts to the sport it would never have occurred to me to think of. It makes me laugh, because I always thought things in basketball just 'happened' - are you understanding how awesome I am at it?? :) Lately I watch James planning 'plays' and trainings for the teams he coaches (seriously, training isn't just a bunch of fun drills randomly selected?? I feel a little bit sorry for the girls I coached when I was teaching!!) and it occurs to me that I don't know anything that well! I guess viola'd be the closest to it, but I never really worked at it that much! - I was blessed with fabulous supportive parents, and an amazingly wonderful, passionate violin/viola teacher, and I played a lot with different strings groups and orchestras and practised on the odd occasion between dance company and choir. I did music as a subject in school, and had played the piano a little when I was younger too - so I get musical theory - but not every part of it, because I only did what I had to to get by, really! I guess I never really tried hard enough to be perfect at anything. Oh maybe dancing - I loved dancing, and I would work really hard at getting that right I guess, but it was really fun! I used to do gymnastics when I was younger, but then they wanted me to train like, morning and night and during school days sometimes too to see if I was good enough to go anywhere with it - eek! I abruptly stopped going.
On the upside, in my vast, totally unfocused experience...
- I play the viola quite decently
- I can play the piano a little
- I can even play the violin and cello a little! - I know music pretty well.
- I can play most sports okay - as in I know the rules, but I've mostly played basketball, volleyball, and netball the most - not brilliant at anything. In fact, the only thing I ever made reps for was cross country, and I never took up training because it was quite apparent that I couldn't quite fit it in. And running for miles on end seemed a little bland..
- I dabble in painting and other craft :)
- I can tap dance a little, know a little ballet and jazz, definite focus on musical theatre dance and hip hop
- I can sing in a choir, okay - read music and all that jazz. I do alto or soprano! - see? No focus! :p
- I can debate! :) - but it's been a while :)
- I love literature, and have half written bits of story and poem all over the place. Nothing finished :)
- I usually make a great dinner, OR a great dessert :)
And so it goes... :)
Lately I wonder what it would be like to be an expert at something. Like, really, really good at it. Know everything about it, study it, love it. Except that when I spend too much time on any one thing I tend to get over it and want to go cold turkey! :S My mum's managed to be an expert at a lot of things - she can be incredibly focused (and really good at multitasking - interesting combination..).
Is there like, a cure for me?? Is anyone else out there like me??!! Or are you all fabulously focused and expert at something. What are you expert at??!!!! Was it fun to get there?! Is it fun now??!!
James loves really getting stuck into something and learning every single thing about it, but I want to yawn just talking about it! Is it a boy thing?? Or do I need to just grow up and choose something?!! I would love to hear what you're fabulous at!!
6 comments:
Oh wow I'm so like that!
but so haven't done as much as you! I played Guitar(like 4 months of it), did gymnastics(for a year), played touch(for 3 years).I quit all of them, i was forced and forced which totally put me off, oh besides dance which i did in school! LOVE dance...I want to be focused and fabulous a in the make up industry and become an artist! But right now i do nothing just Hula (with helani, im sure you know her :)) and a full time mother! So your not alone! *siiggghh*
I think I would rather be a "jack of all trades, master of none". I mastered the top level in modern and tap in grade 12 and when you get to the top, it's sort of like "what do you do now?" can't say I know the ins and outs of dance, but I don't mind. I like the variety of life, dabbling in all areas. That is what makes me, me. Would I like to get really good at photography? Sure, but I think if I mastered it right now, I would move onto my next thing. Sometimes the journey is actually more fun then the destination. I personally want to live and experience life to the fullest and have lots of variety. Hope this helps!!!
I am 'mediocre' at best in most things Abby. I dont enjoy sports, but love watching them. I cant play an instrument, but eagerly appreciate it. Im a spaz on the dancefloor (even though I took ballet for a number of years) but Im better than Husband.
The only things I really excel at are: mowing, gardening, saving animals, and being an electrician. At these few things I am considered quite good, if not excellent, although Im sure that I could improve on those things too :)
You arent alone, is what Im really trying to say :)
I'm the same... I can't remember the last time I mastered something... except for baking 'the cookies' :) I get really into things but then I fizzle out. Maybe it is a girl thing because Darren is just like James in that aspect! There's way too many awesome things to do in life :)
It's as much fun reading the comments as the post! :)
Ariel, it sounds like your life is full just as it is :)
I really like your comment, Jessima, and I agree with you. I'd rather be a 'jack..' too, and I think it suits being a mother, don't you? Things work best if mothers can do a lot of different things well, while it suits a man to specialize well in an area in order to support his family..
Bec, I don't think you are very good at being mediocre at all! :) I love all the things that Michael has learned by being married to you. I think you have a major talent in being a good, hard worker! (And if you had to have only one talent, that's surely got to be about the best one to have!)
Stace, I have never made your biscuits (but thank you for the recipe! :) I've never made them because I thought they wouldn't taste as good as when you did them! (I'm off chocolate for the next year, but after that... :) And, you seem to do lots and lots of things well :)
Abs - I know one thing that you do magnificently well, and better than anyone else ever could - and that is to be you. No one else has quite your take on life, quite your conversation, and humour, and personality. Our worlds would all be less without you! :)
xoxo
"I guess viola'd be the closest to it, but I never really worked at it that much! - I was blessed with fabulous supportive parents, and an amazingly wonderful, passionate violin/viola teacher," .... AND a sister who learned all those ridiculously hard piano accompaniments! ... LOL
Actually, I was going to say that having watched you over the last couple of years, I reckon you're getting to be pretty amazing at motherhood Abby. Seriously - you amaze me with your skill AND heart in that area, and I think a lot of us watching your have noticed your talent at this particular art. Love to learn from your example :)
xo Tammy
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