Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Tuesday, 09 January 2007 - Competency

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for a sense of competency.

Learn to do the common things uncommonly well.
~George Washington Carver

Great writers zealously learn the craft of their profession so they can release the power and the depth of their imagination and experience.

~Leonard Bishop


In my Myers-Briggs NT world, I expect competency in myself and in others. This "trait" is both my doing and undoing. Until I've mastered something, I'm not at peace with myself and mind if others "watch." While learning something new, I prefer to struggle privately. I don't like to falter or fail in front of others.


With my writing, I get to struggle privately. I choose the exact moment to share a poem or essay or story, unveiling the piece only when I deem it ready. My readers are not privy to my behind-the-scenes struggle to get every word right. That's just the way I like it.


Rock climbing, however, has forced me to struggle publicly. The venue is on public land so other people become instant audiences when they stop to watch us. Sometimes I do well; sometimes I don't. I readily concede that, on the road to becoming a competent and elegant climber, I will frequently miss moves, misread the rock, slip off the rock and abandon difficult climbs. Thankfully, I'm learning to ignore curious, impromptu audiences. Anyway, few people are really interested in watching a 52-year old woman climb in Red Rock Canyon. Rather, they usually stop to pet T.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Photo: T inspects the huge but slowly receding snowdrift in his backyard.



No comments: