The Skill Quest

This past week has been a long one. Many ups and downs - and one of the most notable "downs" was hearing the news about our car's transmission being broken. Yeah, its never easy to hear about your otherwise healthy car experiencing a major setback like that - and then having to face some hard decisions on what to do next. And driving it is somewhat of a MUST being that it is the only car we own. However, I have really been awakened to some long buried truths inside of me because of this setback...

Driving our car is tricky - you can't take it past 2 RPM's before the transmission clunks out and derails the forward momentum. Putting the car into reverse makes a horrific "the engine just fell out of our car" like sound. Red stoplights are public enemy #1 because you have to stop all your momentum and go back into "slow ride" mode and give the car time to adjust itself and get back up to speed. Hills are public enemy #2. A hill after a red light - that really, really sucks. But, ever since having to drive it like this and debating whether its time for a new "used" car, my brain gears have been stimulated and I can't stop thinking about embarking on a personal skill quest that I have put off for far too long...

This skill quest I speak of entails setting aside my pride and truly seeking out the skills I have taken for granted, cast aside and relied on others to do for me for most of my life. The big 3-0 is one year away and I am embarrassed that I do not know how to do a certain number of basic things that I really should know how to do. So, for accountability purposes, I give you my real 2008 goals (I looked at my other goals and scoffed at how weak and feeble they are compared to this list) - so without anymore delay, here is my great skill quest:

1) At the top of the list and by which this quest was inspired, is the skill of learning how to drive a manual transmission automobile. I have learned this once or twice in my life, but never followed up with consistent practice, so I don't feel confident enough to get behind the wheel of any "stick shift" vehicle. If a driver is needed to man one of these cars, I hide and look for someone else who knows how to and just let them do it for me. But, I REALLY want to know how to do drive with a clutch. I want to be part of this "cool kids" club of having the ability to drive anything on earth - whether it be automatic OR manual. I want to be able to confidently get behind the wheel of a Ferrari and drive that sucker like it was meant to be driven (if ever given the opportunity of course!) I want to speak the language they speak, "yeah man, I was stuck in second gear - couldn't get out from behind that truck..." What does that mean? I want to be able to translate that kind of chit-chat and know what they're talking about. I am even to the point that if I learn this skill, I will make a conscious decision to make the next vehicle purchase a manual car. I am that serious people. I am determined to learn how to do this for myself AND then be able to pass the skill on to others like me who continue to live in fear and shame...

2) How to Ice Skate & Roller blade. I know it seems funny to have this on my skill quest - but I have never learned or sought out consistent practice to join in on the fun. I have skated once or twice, and it was more like "walking" with ice skates on. It was not fluid or graceful. Once I did get going, I never truly embraced the skill of stopping correctly - I would just fall or grab onto something stable. Hopefully, this will no longer be the case - I vow to learn this skill once and for all. Its embarrassing to tell people I don't know how to when they learn that I grew up in Minnesota of all places...

3) How to Ski, skateboard, snowboard. See above description.

4) How to do repairs on my own car. For too long I have relied on bringing my car into places and paying out the nose to have them repair simple things that I should know how to do on my own. Part of this is for convenience sake - and I would continue to use this excuse even when it was not applicable. But I know there is another way and that if given the right teaching, I could learn to assess car issues better and know what to do to resolve those issues. If nothing else, just correctly identifying the problem will allow me to make better decisions when bringing it into a mechanic. I realize that this is a skill that takes years and a lot of practice to master, but my confidence is rather low when opening the hood of my car - and this needs to change.

5) How to fish. I know how to stick my pole in the water, set the hook and reel in the fish. It took some time, but I do feel confident in my abilities to bring the fish into the boat. What I don't know how to do is all the stuff that happens before and after these actions. I don't know the first thing about tying the weights and lures to the fishing line - I have watched others do it first hand for so long, but if it was thrust into my hands for me to do it for myself - I'd be lost. I also don't know how to properly clean and fillet a fish. I've seen it done in front of me many times, but if given the knife, I'd be guessing. Again, being from the land of lakes and not knowing this isn't exactly a self-esteem builder...

There are several refresher courses that I could use from time to time - like sewing, using a chainsaw, reading music, shooting a gun etc. I know how to do them, but I don't have consistent practice to put them under my belt as definite skills. I know that this list will more than likely grow as I continue to look around me and realize the great number of things that I shrug my shoulders at and tell people that I don't know how to do. I'm secure with myself and know that many skills have gone by the wayside due to earlier years of fear, insecurity and self-doubt. My current skill quest will only be possible as long as I am able to convince myself that's it never too late to learn and by asking others for their time and talent to teach me - so be prepared if you're reading this and know how to do these things - I may be calling on you. And if there's anything I can help you with - say if you need to know how to install blow-in insulation or use an egg white-separator, let me know. I'll scratch your back if you teach me how to drive a stick shift...

And by the way, speaking of "new skills" and "never done that before" - I am on week two of growing a beard. I've gone this long without going insane - so, I'm just going to let it grow. What started out as a dare to go 2 weeks has now taken me to a new place of curiosity and experimentation - and I think I may let it go until Easter. I'll know for certain by then whether or not I can grow one - which will settle the dispute and curiosity once and for all.

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."