Ten Things I Wish I Could Do Better
Like most people, I wish I was better at doing some things. For instance, I wish I could speak more than one language. But alas, I have tried many times and my ear and tongue only seem to be interested in English.
But there are some other things that I think I can accomplish during the rest of my life. So I have compiled a list of the 10 things that I wish I was better at.
1. Learn to Draw
This one always comes to mind first. I can’t even draw a nice stick figure. I will never be an artist, but if I could take the time to learn some basic skills, then I can apply them to my work as a game creator. I have Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and I tried to use it once. I need to try again.
2. Learn to Tie Knots and Make Fire
I did some scouting when I was kid, but I got out before it became necessary to learn about knots. This is a basic skill that isn’t needed in the modern world as much, but I think I could benefit from it as I do a lot of physical work as a homeowner and business owner. It comes up, believe it or not. I would also like to learn how to make a fire with sticks and/or rocks. Or, I should say I would like to KNOW how to do it. I can learn from my SAS Survival Guide, but I want to practice it until I can actually do it.
3. Get Better At Remembering Peoples’ Names
I meet new people all the time. I like people. Most of the time when I meet someone new, either in business or leisure, I want to get to know them better. But I forget names almost immediately. That kinda makes it hard to say hello later on. I know there must be a way to “learn” this skill. Hey, look, another Amazon link. Seems that there is a book called “Remember Every Name Every Time”. I’ll have to add it to my wish list.
4. Learn About Simple Car Maintenance
Would it surprise you to learn that I have never changed a tire? Never changed my own oil?
I don’t like cars. I drive them. I like that they get me from point A to point B. But I don’t like them as machines. I’m more of an electronics guy than a internal combustion engine guy. When electric cars get here, I’ll be good. But as that seems a way off, I probably should learn about this stuff before my daughter gets old enough to drive and looks to her daddy to help her out.
I didn’t intend to turn this into an Amazon link-fest, but it seems there is a book about all this stuff. I’ll wait a few years to add The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Car Care and Repair Illustrated.
5. Get Better at Spelling and Grammar
This is actually something I have worked on before. When I started journalism school, I was most definitely the worst speller in the class. Journalists are supposed to be good at this stuff. Anyway, I read and re-read The word: An Associated Press guide to good news writing and gotten better at it. But there is still room from improvement.
6. Quoting the Bible and Literature
This is an odd one. I’m not a religious person. But I’ve always been jealous of people who can quickly quote the bible or famous writers to support a position. In the movie Mosquito Coast, Harrison Ford counter’s the preacher’s arguments, bible quote for bible quote. It made him seem very intelligent. I don’t know if I will ever be able to do that for the bible, but maybe I can do it for literature at least.
7. Do Math in My Head
I can already do this better than the average person, after all I do have a degree in Computer Science which is related to Math. But there is always room for improvement.
8. Playing Music
I don’t play piano, but I can “play” on the piano. It is a fun stress-reliever for me. But I would love to at least know a few songs that I can really play. I’ve tried this before, and come close.
9. Read Faster
I love to read. But I do read slowly. It takes me weeks or even months to get through a book. Part of it is actually reading the sentences slowly, and part of it is not finding enough time to read. But I’ve always wanted to be one of those people that read a dozen books in a month.
10. Smile More
Well, not so much smile, but be happier. I tend to let things get to me too much. Life is too short for that. There are probably a thousand books at Amazon I could link to for that, but I don’t think the answer is in a book.