Things I would like to learn before I die (but probably won't)
- How to read music - I jammed my way through a year of school stage (jazz) band plus sang for three years in junior high and high school choir yet I can't read music. Oh, sure, I know what a quarter note vs. a whole note is, but not much beyond that.
- Play an instrument - I used to play the bass. Don't now. Wouldn't mind learning the guitar or the banjo (I like bluegrass). I am too lazy to pick up the piano in middle age.
- Speak fluent (North American) Spanish - This just seems handy. Through a piddling approach over the past few years I have achieved decent "restaurant-level" Spanish now, enough to even once in a while get a waiter to think I know more than I do. But it is slow going. My facility for human languages outside of English is low.
- Chemistry - Never had a class, wish I had. I fake it whenever it arises in conversation among my techie friends.
- How to write fiction - I don't read fiction (much :-) but I admire the ability to write fictional narrative and dialog well. My daughter Morgann has it. I don't.
- How to do a basketball layup or tennis serve - This is embarrassing, but there is something about the coordinated movement of both feet and a hand above my head that basically causes a "Norman, correlate" system shutdown. I've never claimed to be the most athletic person, and those who have actually tried to play sports with me know that. It isn't that I can't do athletic - or at least strenuous - things. When I was in shape I could snow shoe anyone into the ground, as Mike will attest, and that's hard work. But something as simple as a tennis serve literally causes me to fall over. Like I said - embarrassing.
- How to draw or paint - I can write, or at least I pretend I can. I can draft; I wanted to be an architect since I was eight. But I really wish I could sketch. Like they used to. Like you see in explorer journals or da Vinci's notebooks.
How about you? What do you want to learn before you die (but probably won't)?
1 comment:
No comments yet? Huh.
Well I don't think about it as much, but here's a stab of some things I've stashed in the back that one day would like to get to:
1. playing piano - I used to, then my family sold it, and got a piano (hmm...)
2. art - another childhood thing that I'd like to try my hand at again
3. cooking - not sure if I really want to be able to cook a gourmet meal that much, but just be able to at least be capable of using the grill in numerous ways
4. travel - in particular back to Venezuela but my wife really would like to travel the country and the world when our kids all are > 18
I would like to note that I never learned Chemistry either :)
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