The things I’m good at, they’re dwindling, but I still have some left. Here they are in random order:
Languages – I’ve always had an aptitude for them even when I was a little kid. It wasn’t only that I had a gift for learning them; I was also very much interested in them. I really like them. It’s not just the languages I formally studied either. I’m just naturally fascinated by language, so I tried to learn the dialects of the people I spent time with. Even now, I’m teaching myself ASL. I suppose I find languages fun. I have a good time learning them.
Pies – Who knew? I didn’t learn to cook – didn’t know how, didn’t do it – until after I was married. While I’m still not the best cook out there, I’ve found the joy of making things from scratch. I am a decent baker, and I think my pies are – more often than not – pretty solid.
Crosswords – I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, and it’s a source of pride for me to finish really difficult ones. I think I’m still good at them, but I tend to fall asleep while I’m doing them these days. I like all sorts of puzzles actually.
Finding Things – Speaking of puzzles, I’m really good at finding things, especially if the ones initially looking for them used their mouth more than their eyes in looking. These “cases” feed my inner Nancy Drew. My usual clients are my husband, my daughter, and my sister.
Kvetching – I was going to put down writing, but somebody might disagree, then I’d have a fight on my hands. So, I just decided to put in kvetching. I’m a seasoned pro. I’ve mastered the fine art of bellyaching. Somebody’s got to do it.
I used to be good at other things too, like remembering things. I don’t think I actually had an eidetic memory, but my auditory memory was pretty good. I was bad at faces, but I always knew if I’d already heard a name. I was also the type of student who could recall the teacher’s lecture, so I didn’t really have to review. As long as I was paying attention to the teacher, I didn’t really need to study for tests.
That memory is related to the other thing I felt I was good at, which is trivia. I was fanatic about Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy. I still know things, but I take a long time recalling them now. It’s not just aging and the brain fog brought on by perimenopause. I’ve had two C-sections too. So, yeah…
This Small Life 