Natural talent?
Do you ever wonder if perhaps you were born with a natural talent which you have yet to discover? That if only you had been handed a tennis racket, violin, microphone, paintbrush, unicycle, basketball, or tap shoes as a 4-year-old, your life would be very different now.
I remember as a child sitting up in my bed and I would stare at a stuffed bear across the room and wiggle my nose, just in case like Tabitha Stevens on Bewitched, I could make the bear come to me. I am embarrassed to tell you how many hours I devoted to this. My time would have been better spent trying new things like dancing, singing or sports.
At 54, it frustrates me to think that maybe I did have a natural talent that was overlooked or never tried. So, now I try new things more often. I played the piano last week. I never took piano lessons as a kid but a friend had taught me both parts of Heart and Soul. Last week, on a day that I would be hard pressed to remember what I ate for dinner the night before, I knocked Heart and Soul out of the ballpark. Both parts, after 45 years!
I certainly have no natural talent but I had more fun in those twenty minutes, finding the right keys, using the pedals to make it sound as if I were playing in a cathedral or concert hall than I have had in a very long time. Yes, I was completely alone. Yes, I felt a bit foolish to even sit down on the bench. The experience left a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
Go find that guitar in the attic, the tennis racket in the garage and have some fun. Or try something new without the fear of looking or sounding stupid. Ride a horse or play horseshoes, just get out there and have some fun.
You may not find a hidden natural talent, but you may feel like a kid again.
MKR
