If I could master any skill INSTANTLY, it’d be…um…uh…lemme think…
Please hold.
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Ah ha!! Math skills. I’m horrible at math and it would make life so much easier if I could do simple multiplication in my head, or, you know if I could EVER make my checkbook match my bank account to the penny (I’m always a cent or two off)
What would you master in the blink of an eye if you could?
Random, right? Here’s the train of thought: I glanced down at the recommendations area on my Twitter homepage and someone’s profile picture is a Great White Shark. Then, I thought, I hate sharks.
Not as in, Indiana Jones hates snakes but he’ll deal with them kinda thing. I mean I have this horrible, primal, instinctual, phobic, whatever FEAR of sharks. I have a hard time watching Jaws (unless it’s #4 with the roaring shark…then the YouTube vids are pretty dang hilarious). I especially hate the part when Quinn in munched in half. ((((shudder))))
I hate going to Bass Pro Shop where the totally fake, and totally fake looking shark is dangling from its tail with its giant mouth gaping open. I don’t even want to walk past it. And I’m a grown woman, what’s up with that?
Even on very dry land, from the safety of my own computer, the image of a Great White with his/her mouth gaping for a tasty morsel sends chills up my spine and the horrible sick feeling; I even want to pull my feet up on my chair so the phantom Great White that must be somehow under my desk can’t get me.
Maybe I saw Jaws too young, I don’t know. I do know that I can’t do the surfing thing ever, mainly because if I were to drown, that’d be one thing, but I don’t want to suffer the massive coronary I would be sure to have as I’m being eaten alive by one of Jaws’ offspring…which I am convinced would absolutely, without a doubt happen. So, if I go to Australia or Hawaii, I’ll dip my toes in the very shallow water right on the beach. (I’ve heard that sharks only need a foot of water to swim in. EEEKK!!!!!!)
A prompt came through the other day and I decided I just had to answer it:
“Close your eyes. Count to ten. Then, imagine a beautiful ancient castle (tastefully remodeled to include central heating, kick-a** wi-fi and WordPress.com ready laptops everywhere). Now walk down the endless main hall, a hall filled with amazing rooms of wonder. Go into the 2nd room on the right. What’s inside?”
My answer:
A dimly lit cave of a room with a plush couch in the center. The walls are lined floor-to-ceiling with records and CDs of every genre, every nation, every artist - essentially the best music collection EVER. There are, of course, various turntables, stereos, CD players, speakers and other accoutrements of music listening about the room, but the centerpiece of the space is the canvas of music recordings. There’s a fireplace, because I love those. And, perhaps predictably, in the corner, there’s a small writing desk to – what else? – write upon.
Upon further examination, the floors are the kind that people spend thousands on, with qualifications like “hand-scraped.” These wooden planks have been scraped by time and use. The dimness of the room is teased by the heavy, but unadorned curtains that flank the modern writing desk. When they are opened, the reveal two pillars of glass, windows to the outside world.
The furnishings are spartan despite the obvious regal nature of the castle. This room has been made just for me in tones of slate gray and ice blue. In the renovation, the placement of various soft textile art pieces help to provide acoustic balance against the hardwood floors. This place is the perfect sanctuary for me.
What’s your answer?
As March starts to come to a close, it’s kind of fun to be reflective and to see what I’ve learned so far this year. Do the same thing for yourself. What have you learned in 2011? I’ll wait…
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What do you plan to do with that lesson? That’s a totally rhetorical question, by the way. I don’t expect you to share with me what you’ve learned (although I’d be more than happy to hear it!), but I will share with you what I have learned so far in 2011.
I’ve learned that if you just let go and listen to that little voice in your head, it’ll get you where you need to go. God has told me to do some things this year that He’s never told me before. I’ve been stretched and been forced to grow in so many ways, and the blessings are astounding. This has been my most significant lesson learned so far this year. Here, I’ll give you an example.
I’ve been a musician for a long time. I started playing violin when I was about nine or ten, so that’s roughly 20 years of fiddlin’ around. But, in all those years, I’ve never been very comfortable playing in front of people. Sure, I’ve done it. I’ve played solos before an audience of one, to an audience of a few hundred. I’ve played with a quartet; I’ve played in orchestras of varying size; I’ve played in a band.
At the beginning of this year, the little voice in my head began suggesting that I become involved in the music ministry at church. I ignored it for a while, using excuses like the constant state of being covered up in school work to mask the fact that I was really just scared. I was being told to join choir, something I have NEVER done before. I was thinking, “I’ve never sung in a choir. I think I’m an alto, but I’m not sure. OMGosh, what if they make me sing by myself?”
One day, though, I sucked it up and just rolled into choir practice and the blessings have been pouring out since. I won’t go into everything, because there really isn’t time, but I will tell you that the benefits of following that small little instruction have been great. I’ll be playing violin on that stage soon, and I am TERRIFIED, but I’m going to do it. I’m no longer scared to sing with a group or to stand on the risers and sing my heart out with my brothers and sisters every Sunday, so I know that once I get used to things with a violin on my shoulder, I’ll be just fine there too.
2011, I have a feeling you’re going to be full of all sorts of lessons. Thanks for making the first big one of many a pretty easy one.
