An MFRW Author Post – And check out the other blogs on the hop!

 

As writers, we are always striving toward a better understanding of the world and the people in. Whether that means we put ourselves into unique situations intentionally or that we are writers specifically because we are drawn to those weird situations, the end result is the same. Here are a few weird, wild and odd talents and skills I’ve picked up over the years.

 

Friendship Braceleting

I am the queen of friendship bracelets. At the height of my summer camp counselor rule, I could knot out a bracelet with the individual letters of your name in two colors in less than an afternoon. I’ve crafted two-dozen string bookmarks with Hogwarts crests, rainbow bands, and heart figures. Carpal tunnel notwithstanding, however, friendship braceting doesn’t have a huge impact on everyday adult life. And the dumb thing is, I’m not even good at knitting.

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Juggling

Because in some past life I must have been a traveling performer, I can officially say that I’m capable of juggling. Not necessarily well and certainly no more than three objects at a time, but I can toss a few balls in the air and, for the most part, catch them again. This useful skill is something my uncle taught me when we were traveling in Ireland. We used rocks.

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Rolling My Eyes

Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. I don’t just roll my eyes, (though I’m quite skilled at that too) but I have a condition called a voluntary ocular shutter. It means I can shake my eyes really quickly, though to me it appears as spinning. It’s a completely useless skill except for when it comes to freaking out the kids I used to nanny for.

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Sing the Entirety of “Baby Got Back”

I was really into this song in college, as was one of my roommates. One drunken night, it ended in a full rendition that another one of our friends recorded and is likely still holding onto as damning blackmail for the future.

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Navigate Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress Filing Systems

I worked in my local library when I was in high school and my college library for four years and each used one type of filing systems. I spent so much time putting away books that I could reasonably find you the right section in either system. Dewey Decimal is more intuitive and user-friendly.

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Hold a Subpar Conversation in Italian

I’ve been learning Italian for more than a decade and I still don’t speak it fluently. I could get you to the train station or coffee shop, but my comprehension is much better than my speaking skill. I blame Signore Trancredi.

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I’m sure there are dozens of other weird skills I’ve picked up over the years. I love learning and learning for learning’s sake, so I’m always looking out for new ideas. Can’t wait to see what comes next!