Celebrating Our Talents
Once the label was slapped on, it didn't take long to figure out that it was going to be a problem.
Smart.
I was labeled as smart in first grade. It came in the form of the word, "Talented," along with inclusion into a special program at school. For the grown-ups in my life, it was A Very Good Thing. A reason to be proud, an excuse to brag, something to shout from the mountain tops.
But, oh, to be a kid labeled as such was not at all a good thing. It came with a side of Don't You Dare Put Your Hand Up to Answer a Question, a dose of Don't Ever Share Your Grades, and a heavy hit of Will You Help Me Cheat on this Test? When you're a wee little kid, you're proud of your every achievement, but slowly things change and it becomes bad to be different. Being good at something, being better than average, well that's just not acceptable.
Recently @jayesel wrote about how it really kinda sucks how we start out knowing how to celebrate our talents, but that for some reason that pride is beaten out of us as we grow up. She challenged everybody who read her post to list seven things they are good at.
I can do that.
1. I am smart. I can be totally and completely ditzy at times, but when it comes to figuring out a situation and piecing together a solution, I'm your girl. I can figure out absolutely anything if I set my mind to it.
2. I am stubborn. See also: #1. If I decide I'm going to do something, I'm doing it. It may take me forever and a day to get it done, but I will.
3. I catch things other people miss. It's exactly what makes me a good classroom trainer. I pick up on nonverbal communication very well, I hear muttering from miles away, and I piece it all together to figure out what people are really thinking.
4. I am a word game queen. I may not be the best out there, but ask the peeps who have fallen to my wrath in Words with Friends about how I am with two-letter words.
5. You don't have to ask "How does your garden grow?" because the answer is very well. I can't keep houseplants alive, but if it's outside, I can make it look good. In the event it doesn't, I'll figure out why a plant isn't happy and find it a better place. I am a beast with a shovel and a pair of gardening gloves.
6. I am flexible. I don't mean that in the bendy sort of way (because, uh, NOT AT ALL), but rather in a BRING IT ON, WORLD sort of way. No matter what unexpected curveballs are thrown my way, I manage to hit the snooze button on the universe and snore my way through it. I dodge disaster like a pro.
7. I am an overachiever. Here, let me prove it! I asked Alexis to list some things that she is good at. Since she's still young enough to be WAY proud of her accomplishments and still loves to tell people her talents, she was much faster at coming up with seven things than I was. I'm challenging myself to help her stay that way, but yet find the balance between pride and conceit. Anyway, her seven were: a good hula hooper, a good jumper, a good painter, a good speller (she rattled off L-O-V-E to prove her point, which, SWOON!), a good colorer, a good reader, and good at being silly. She's totally right on all accounts.
Now, it's YOUR turn. What are your talents?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Reader Comments (26)
I
stole this fromanswered these questions from Jayesel for my last post too.http://darwinfish2.blogspot.com/2010/08/im-poster-child-for-insecurity.html
I make an awesome Buffalo Chicken Dip, I can drink all of my friends under the table, I read more books in a year than most people do in a whole lifetime....Im sure there are more lol
Ahhh, the dreaded GATE (gifted and talented education). Nothing like getting labeled with GATE to make the kids want to be your BFF when exams or group projects rolled around. I got used to it and got good at just smiling then hiding my test under my arm, away from prying eyes.
So!
1. I'm smart.
2. I'm great at planning. Plans are kinda my THING.
3. I'm pretty crafty with fabric, yarn, etc.
4. I'm a fantastic reader.
5. I have nice handwriting. (So 3rd grade of me, but still true!)
6. I pay attention to details like nobody's business.
7. I am a good navigator.
That was kind of hard. It's great Alexis can name what she's good at so quickly! She seems like she a bright little girl, in every sense of the word.
This is kinda fun. Let's see what I can come up with.
1) I'm a good wife. Granted, there are tons of things I could do better, but overall I'm a good wife. No kids, but no doubt I'd be a good mother, too ;)
2) I'm a good cook. Not gourmet or anything like that, but I know my way around a kitchen.
3) I am an awesome speller. Now that I've said that, there's going to be a stupid typo somewhere in this comment, lol.
4) I'm good at crafts.
5) I'm learning my way around a camera and have taken some shots recently that I am very proud of.
This is hard. We try so hard to be humble that its hard to toot our own horn. Well, for me anyways.
6) I am the calm one in an emergency.
7) I have an AWESOME sense of direction. Just don't ask me to navigate using a step-by-step printout from Yahoo maps. I will get us lost every.single.time.
OK, LOL, I *swear* I did not read Jayesel's post before I wrote this. I decided to read it before posting my comment and we have like 4 of the same talents. Hmm, maybe I should start reading her blog, we might have a lot in common.
Thank you for this post. It was very thought-provoking.
Oh yes, the Smart Kid. So much pressure at such a young age! I came home devastate one day in 3rd grade, sobbing into the couch as soon as I walked in the door. My mom tried to pry it out of me, asking what was wrong. I wouldn't answer her for a while. Then, the admission: I MISSED MY FIRST SPELLING WORD TODAY.
God, I'm a dork.
Yay for getting Alexis involved in this :) A good hula hooper! That's a talent I definitely don't have!
I love this post! What a great idea of Jayesel's! She is so right. It is slammed into our brains to not brag so much that we forget it is okay to be proud of our accomplishments. I love your answers, and Alexis's. And, the smart thing makes me really sad. Do you think it is possible to be smart and popular in school? At my high school the smartest kids were considered nerds, but being smart was acceptable as long as you had other assets (being pretty, a cheerleader, majorette, a good swimmer, etc) I'm going to try and do this also.
I'm creative. If you need to build a pirate ship out of some benches, some cardboard and a pole, I'm your girl. I'm a super fast reader. I can type pretty fast. I'm an excellent out loud reader. I'm a good reader of body language and am intuitive about what people are feeling. I'm an excellent friend. And I'm a hella good tv watcher. :)
Oh sheesh. This one is definitely a hard one for me. Umm...
1- I'm friendly. I always try to make people comfortable and happy.
2- I'm very determined.
3- I'm super dependable.
4- I am loyal (to a flaw perhaps).
5- I am trustworthy. If you tell me a secret I will NEVER tell another soul so long as I live.
6- I am a good singer.
and Ummm.
I'll get back to you on the last one.
This took me entirely too long. Egad.
LOVE THIS POST!!! Here is my list :D
1. I can pick out patterns in ANYTHING! Behavior, art, literature...love finding patterns.
2. I do well in school no matter what subject I study.
3. I am creative.
4. I can throw together a tasty dinner with whatever's in the fridge.
5. I'm a very good gift picker-outer...LOOOOVE picking out gifts for people.
6. I'm crafty...as in I can sew and do crafty stuff.
7. I'm a bargain hunter extraordinaire!!
I'm off to read Jayesel's post too! Thanks for giving me a positive start to the day!
Oh how I remember being made fun of for being in the TAG (talented and gifted) program. As for 7 things....hmmmm
1. I'm a super organizer
2. I can crunch numbers like nobody's business
3. I can type on a 10-key calculator without looking faster than most people can type on a keyboard
4. I'm really good at drawing bubble letters
5. I used to be really good at texting on my blackberry while driving (shhhhh)
6. I am pretty smart and I can memorize almost anything (temporarily)
7. I can read a map like nobody's business (it just takes me awhile to apply it to actually getting somewhere)
Okay, here goes nothing:
1. I am always optimistic
2. I am an awesome scrapbooker, at least I think so
3. I can problem solve like a pro
4. I am pretty darn funny, it doesn't come across when I write though :D
5. I take good pictures
6. I can type fast - most of it isn't spelled right, but we aren't talking about spelling here
7. I am a good listener.
Okay, that zapped my brain power for the next hour! :D
LOVE this post. I may have to steal the idea for my own blog. Would you mind? In the meantime, I've got:
1. I handle life's mishaps fairly well. (Most of the time. When I've had sleep.)
2. I'm a giver.
3. I'm an incurable optimist. This is good in many situations.
4. I thrive on stress and deadlines. Mostly. When I've had sleep.
5. I'm reliable. If I tell you I'll get something done, it'll get done.
6. I love doing new things, and am constantly learning.
7. I like to do things myself. The sense of pride and accomplishment at a job well done is so much better than paying someone to do it for me. (Is this called stubbornness? If so, see #3. I call it ingenuity.)
So.....you're a beast with a shovel and a pair of gardening gloves.
Unless there's a toad in the area. :)
(I'll have to get back to you on what I'm good at. Right now, I'm apparently good at sarcasm.)
1. I am a good friend.
2. I am an improving cook! (Two years ago I could barely boil an egg. No, really.)
3. I am enthusiastic.
4. I am a hard worker.
5. I am witty (so they say).
6. I am loving.
7. I am really good at drinking wine.
Yay! Thanks for this post :)
Seven, let's see .... (1) I'm a good cook- nothing fancy, but good home style cooking; (2) I read really quickly; (3) I can draft anything you need written in however much time there is- 83 pages in two days- sure! (4) I can drink a lot of bourbon for a five foot tall woman (hey, it's a skill set); (5) I can come up with non-messy kids crafts projects; (6) I remember to send thank you notes; and (7) I can be pretty funny.
Fun!
1. I am good at football pics. The guys on my committee are trying to tempt me to Vegas.
2. I'm a great listener (and not too shabby with advice). Why, oh why didn't I stick with my psychology major?
3. I have a fabulous imagination. I can make up elaborate best-selling stories for the girl on the spot (hooray!), but am sometimes too scared to get out of bed in the middle of the night (boooo).
4. I can say no to ice cream. (My sisters *swear* this is a talent.)
5. I can tell when my girls are lying and can get them to confess to anything. This mommy superpower might wane with time, so I am reveling in it as long as I can.
6. I have an excellent memory. I can recall every dream I've ever had, conversations I had years ago, and birthdays of all my elementary school friends.
7. I am very loyal. Friends. Sports teams. Brands that have never let me down. You want me on your side because I will never, ever leave. Until you do me wrong and then you had better go underground.
Please note I did not list spelling or proofreading on my list. I would like to amend #1 to read "football PICKS." Otherwise the Vegas trip would take on an entirely inappropriate meaning. Ahem.
I am totally writing a blog post for this. Possibly tonight.
1. I can explain any technical item (computer related) in words just about anyone can understand
2. My students always tell me I am a great teacher. I have had other teachers tell me that my students only compliment me, alot. I can't really tell you what it is that makes me a great teacher, or what it is they like about me. But that is what I hear.
That is about it.
I was never very good at this type of a question on a job interview and I really don't have any great talents, so this was a bit of a struggle. But here goes anyway.
- Consistency (mostly applies to editng and proofreading writing other than mine; definitely does not apply to child-rearing)
- Honesty
- Loyalty
- Walking, talking, and eating fast (I am great at eating in general)
- Picking up litter
- Turning the other cheek
- Getting back to people (professionally and personally)
Love this post.
I love, deeply.
Okay...7 things hunh?
1) Loyal. To a fault. My best friend has been my best friend for 10 years despite her being a complete jerk at times (I took her on an all expenses paid trip a few years ago and she NEVER said thank you not even once.)
2) I can talk really, really fast. Also I can change topics at the speed of light. If you're in a conversation with me better buckle up.
3) I have a really good memory. Seriously NEVER EVER EVER ask me about military history or my trip to Disneyland when I was 7 or anything you don't want to know the nuts and bolts of.
4) I'm a research nut. If I'm really curious about a topic I can spend DAYS and DAYS researching. I start the 'old fashioned' way in an encyclopedia and write out things I want to follow up on. Then I go to the library and use the reference section to see what I can find and then if I still want more I dig it up online.
5) I'm a very good reader. I was reading at high school and college level for fun in elementary school (but they didn't have a gifted program. I just drove teachers up the wall with my literary picks.) I've read books for 'fun' that most people only read because they are required to.
6) I'm a quick study with technology. Give me a piece of unfamiliar tech and in under 4 hours I can give you a complete run-down of all its specs and how to make it do exactly what you want no matter how complicated. (A good example is Windows 7. I spent 2 hours with it before becoming 'tech support' for my computer illiterate mom)
7) I'm very creative. If you need a story written or have writers block? Come see me. I can feed you plots that will keep you going for weeks :)
For the record, your 2 and 6 conflict. But I think if the list went to 8, yours would have been "Makes the seemingly very, very not-supposed-to-happen stuff actually happen with serenity, grace and aplomb."
And here you go:
http://bit.ly/96NOmZ
1) I make the world's best chocolate chip cookies. Seriously. Just ask ModernMatriarch.
2) I am also a really good cook in general and people attend my parties not only for my sparkling wit and charming personality, but because they love my Spicy Caramelized Onion Bacon Blue Cheese dip.
3) I too am smart - and proud of it.
4) I am fiercely loyal. Just ask my friends.
5) I can rock a tiara like nobody's business.
6) I am beyond organized - to point of OCD. But I think it'sa good thing. I mean - how are you supposed to pack for a 5-day trip if you don't map everything out in a spreadsheet first?
7) Once upon a time I thought I wanted to be a make up artist. Senior year at Duke I lived with 7 other women and getting ready to go out took FOREVER because I had to my make up and everyone else's too.
Good idea because we're all so quick to be critical but God forbid we take a minute to celebrate the things we rock at.
right now my talents are whining and finding fault with myself......not been the greatest year!
You forgot "I can write" and "I make one cute kid" -- well, that one needed little help.
Mine:
1. I can sew pretty darn good.
2. I'm good at painting ceramics (especially the eye.)
3. I can crochet
4. I'm pretty good at writing
That's all I got.