I’ve always been jealous of people who are really great at something.
I know I’ve been dealt more than a fair hand at life. I’m average-looking with average intelligence and am generally considered to be a nice person.
I was a good student but never Mensa or Harvard material. I can hold my own in most sports, but never competed provincially or at a higher competitive level. I can make a mean stew and banana bread, but would never cut it on Master Chef Canada.
I can write passably, but nowadays with ChatGPT, Bing and Gemini, any human and now machine can spew out the drivel I share each week in my little Crappy Act as Dave likes to call it.
The list of things I suck at is even longer. I can’t sew or hem, I wouldn’t know where to begin on any building or home renovation project and I’ve inherited my father’s innate inability at wrapping presents. (One of my favourite things to do on Christmas Eve was watch my father make a batch of wrapping every one of my Mom’s presents while drinking a few glasses of rye and ginger.)
It doesn’t help that the entertainment industry flaunts in our faces the many talents of celebrities who seem to be great at everything. Jim Carrey is an accomplished artist. Actresses like Anna Kendrick, Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson can act, dance and sing like songbirds plus have successful businesses on the side. Anthony Hopkins writes symphonies for gods’ sake. And those Helmsworth brothers, Chris and Liam. It’s not enough they’re gorgeous and talented actors, they can even dance.
When I retired, I hoped I would discover something I’m great at. I tried painting since my Mom was an accomplished painter.
I signed up for a 3-hour workshop where the theme was painting a beach scene, since it was the dreary winter months. Using a photo as our inspiration, my friend Angela and I spent the next three hours practising our brush strokes painting white sand beaches, blue waters and palm trees. While people ooh’ed and aah’ed over each other’s canvases, mine somehow ended up resembling L.A. after the wildfires. One guy actually said to me, “Yeah, those palm trees aren’t good.”
I tossed the finished painting on my dresser for a couple of weeks, trying to decide whether I should fix it, paint over it or just throw it out. One day I came home and it wasn’t there. Dave had hung it as a joke in the kitchen above the stove. It’s still hanging there. A true masterpiece. Judge for yourself.
Okay, so maybe painting isn’t my thing. But just maybe it’s not as important to discover what you are great at, so much as what you are most passionate about and love to do.
For now, I will keep searching for my greatness.
Happy Act 
I’d just like to say your sky and grass are quite good, with lovely variations…
My mother used to tell me I was a “jack of all trades, master of none.” It has played in my head since then, as I strive to do different things, sometimes doing okay, other times failing miserably (I will never take another painting class, just sayin’) I prefer to think of myself as the person you might most want to take on voyage. I know enough about many things that I can be useful, and I suspect that has to be good enough for me. Perhaps a different mental focus is in order. All those people with all those skills (I’m looking at you, Hugh Laurie) have had advantages of all sorts. Perhaps we haven’t.
Perhaps, though, we are enough, just spreading joy in our own, slightly wobbly way. And PS: Love your writing!
I think you’ve summed up in your quintessential lovely way DorothyAnne what we’re great at, “just spreading joy in our own, slightly wobbly way.” Thank you for sharing.
Hi Laurie, Jym Grimshaw here. I don’t really know you that well, but for the times we are in class, I find that you are great at a lot of things that I consider important in good people. I think you are a great student of the arts and give yourself the attempt at quite a few of them. You aren’t in writing to sell a book, but to write one or a play. That is a great goal that challenges you every time you attempt it, but you know what, you act like we do in the police, who are working to protect our citizens. We say be like a clock, don’t stop, keep going, and something will happen. Seems to me you are like that clock. I bet if you have little grandkids, they would think your painting was pretty valuable to them and therefore great. I think hubby was kind of proud of you, too, and hung the art for others to see I know you are a great communicator, humble and fair in your critique. That’s pretty great too! Keep ticking girl!
You are an amazing outdoors woman and swimmer! I have always been amazed at the time you can spend and distance you can swim in the cool lake waters. You are also incredible with animals and can inspire others to find joy in the simple pleasures of the forest. I think sometimes we don’t see our own gifts as they are natural or easy to us and the people around us can remind us of our inspiring talents! Take good care Laurie.
I read your blog out to the kids tonight. It was funny and insightful. Rachel and I are signing up for a pottery class on Wednesday. We’ll share photos with you we’re done.
Awesome!
A true measure of a person’s greatness is how they make others feel. Your mentorship, your encouragement, and your ability to see beyond the walls people build—these are the qualities that set you apart from the average.
Through the roles you’ve held over the years, you’ve helped countless others find their confidence and their voice.
That is powerful.
That is your greatness.
Wow, I wish I knew who this was. Now that I’m retired, I often wonder if I made any difference in all my years of work. If I helped or inspired one person, that’s more than I could hope for. Thank you for your kind words.