Friday, April 17, 2009

"Your hidden creative talents will soon be revealed."

That was the fortune cookie I received on Wednesday when Kiley and I got take-out Chinese. It made me wonder: at the age of 24 (almost 25), shouldn't I already be aware of any/all "hidden" talents that I may possess?

Naturally, as a person grows from a young child into an adult, various talents become apparent through different experiences. Some people are blessed with an array of talents (ie: musical, athletic, artistic), while others possess only a specific gift. Sometimes the talent can be strange, even extremely odd. I, myself, have a few "interesting" talents.

So, as I'm thinking about the talents I am already aware of, I begin to wonder if I do, in fact, have somewhere deep within the recesses of my mind, some brilliant ability that could change mankind, cure a disease, or win a Nobel prize? Do I contain the answer to some age-old question? Am I really as smart as Einstein and just simply not exercising an extra 5% of my brain?

How do we really know what all of our special talents are unless someone provokes it from within us? How many of us go through life not using the gifts that we've been given? What if at a particular moment, in one instant, a talent that we have could be used for greatness, but we aren't even aware that we possess it?