Wednesday, June 21, 2006

My talent? Not having one.

"Would you do it all over right from the start
And what you wish for won't come true"
- "What You Wish For"
Guster

I cannot sing, hum on key, or play the piano. Drawing, scuplting, painting, crafts? My artistic abilities are nonexistent. Dancing? My lack of natural rhythm makes it nearly impossible to pull off effectively. To top it off, I am not particularly athletic, either.
To sum it up, I am without talent.
Some people can do it all without even trying - they can sing, dance, draw, play sports, and do math calculations in their heads. I blamed them for taking my talent.
Are talents something that you are born with, or can they be developed? I remember asking my mom to put me in dance classes when I was younger - she replied that I wasn't particularly graceful, and perhaps dancing wasn't really for me.
I spent many years bemoaning my lack of talent. After all, it's relatively discouraging to be the one person who cannot sing, dance, draw, or play sports well; especially in a world where people can do all of the above and more.
Then, I came to a realization -- my talents may not be traditional, but it does not mean that I am without.
I am amazing at spelling, and can beat many people in Scrabble. I can shuffle cards and "make the bridge" with the deck. I can recite the alphabet just as quickly in reverse, as forward. I know the lyrics to thousands of songs (I'm not exaggerating), as well as the bands and the song titles. I can fold t-shirts perfectly, both in shape and size. I can type quickly and (relatively) correctly, without using the proper fingers.
Chances are, I won't ever win American Idol, but that doesn't mean that I am without talent.

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