The power, alrighty, of doing your own thing

(With apologies to The Harvard Lampoon and Bored of the Rings.)

Before the show Joan of Arcadia was cancelled, I watched it weekly. (Of course, that's why it was cancelled: too many people my age and not enough people Joan's age were watching. But I digress). I especially liked the first season, during which the main character was surrounded by people who were all very good at one thing or another. Her dad was a cop, and a good one. Her older brother had been a gifted athlete, and her younger brother was a gifted student. The guy she became interested in was a gifted artist, and so was the other girl who was interested in him (got that?). And her best friend was...well, a gifted rebel. Joan spent much of that season trying a variety of different activities: photography, band, cheerleading, working in a bookstore, babysitting, and I can't even remember what else. I could really relate to that. I did the same thing in high school, and I wasn't even talking to God; I just wanted to be good (really, really good) at something.

I am very good at reading, but that becomes obsolete once second grade is over. I'm good at writing papers, but lack the self-discipline and dedication to write anything longer. I can carry a tune (at least the kids haven't complained too much) and have recently learned an impressive collection of nursery songs, but I would be laughed off the stage of American Idol. I used to be a pretty fair actress (at least all of my acting teachers said so), but I got out of the theatrical habit in college while working two jobs. I was a decent student, managing to remain on the honor roll throughout high school while barely cracking a book. (Textbook, that is. I cracked plenty of novels.)

I've learned to knit, crochet, scrapbook, rubber stamp, and make beaded jewelry. I can do all of these things reasonably well, but I'm not passionate about any of them. I can skip stones, but only a couple of times. I'm very polite, can get along with just about anyone, and have had several employee reviews that feature the phrase "Everyone seems to want to work with you more often," but I don't think that doing my job without being a drama queen is above and beyond the call of duty, you know? I'm good at making people laugh, but my sense of humor is fairly dry and sarcastic, and not for everyone.

However, I think I've finally found something that I'm really, really good at. When my first son (Boy Wonder) was born, in April of 2003, I discovered that I could talk (and write) about him--what he was doing, what he was learning, how he was learning it, and how cute he looked while all of this was taking place--for hours. Watching a tiny human develop is endlessly fascinating. This has only intensified with the recent arrival of Baby Boone, now two months old.

So I'm damned good at talking about my kids. And, being a Leo, I'm not half bad at talking about myself, either. I may even talk about books sometimes.

Feel like listening?