Faith's Top 5 Things I'd Like to Learn

Trying a little something new here. For a while now I've wanted to be able to blog via Facebook. That was the one feature of MySpace I actually preferred. Now that I've got a link between Blogspot and Facebook, I'm saving myself a step. Now maybe I'll actually use this thing a little more often. That said, on to the list, in no particular order:

1. Latin
I suppose I should have taken the opportunity when I had the chance back in seventh grade when it was offered, but at the time I figured the only real practical uses were in hospitals and seminaries, and since I didn't plan on being a doctor or a priest, I figured there wasn't much point. Now, though, for some reason, I've taken an interest in it. It's the foundation of so many other languages, so much so that if you know a word in Latin, you may well recognize it when you hear it in another tongue. Unfortunately, learning a new language takes a lot of time and effort, and I'm not certain I can justify devoting the attention to it that it deserves when I've got so many other things that need to be done.


2. Piano
I started taking lessons when I was about nine years old. Ever since I'd started plunking away at my grandmother's cherry-red upright when I was barely old enough to reach the keys, my grandmother had made the suggestion to my mother that I get lessons. She said I had a natural ear. Unfortunately, though, the ear is only half the battle, and it can even hinder the formal teaching process. I was a major slacker, and as a result I didn't learn anywhere near as much in five years' worth of formal training as I should have. When it comes to theory and reading anything in the bass clef, I'm practically illiterate. Thanks to the ear, though, if you hum a few bars, I can fake it. (For the most part.)

3. Flying
This one's kind of a pipe dream. Small planes are dangerous. Just ask John F. Kennedy Jr., or John Denver. (Come to think of it, maybe it's just the name "John" that's dangerous.) Of course, not to speak ill of the dead, but when you're going to pilot an aircraft, the best defense is preparedness. When I was younger, I was actually rather terrified of airplanes. Having a mother in Florida and the rest of my family in Boston, though, I've had to get used to the idea of flying at least twice a year or so. The only trepidation I've really got left is when turbulence hits. So the way I figure it, taking flying lessons and dealing with rolls and stalls and simulated emergencies and the like will either make me fearless, or it'll make me wish I'd never attempted to defy the law of gravity in the first place. Considering how expensive flying lessons are, though, I've either got to hit the lotto jackpot or start seeing a pilot socially. Looks like it's time to start buying lottery tickets.

4. Sewing
This is one of those classic ingrained female skills that we're all just supposed to know. My grandmother was a whiz at this stuff -- probably because she worked for Singer for umpteen years -- and my mom and my aunt are both pretty good with it -- but I've never really learned. Sure, I can put a button in, patch a little here and there, slap a patch onto a backpack, but I can't hem a pair of pants or put together even a basic pattern. I can bake, and I can apply that to my non-dessert cooking skills, so I'm not concerned there. But I'm going to really need to learn my way around a sewing machine someday if I ever want to throw together an outfit for Halloween or make costumes for my kid's second grade play.

5. Drawing
Every now and then, I sketch in my margins. I've even doodled a few cartoon characters into existence. (Well, existence that doesn't really go outside my sketchbooks.) I've even dabbled in caricature. But I've never been able to put pencil to paper and create something truly realistic the way I've seen some people do. My brother is one of the most gifted artists I've ever seen (although he'd swear up and down that I'm wrong), and I once dated a guy who gave me a framed sketch of myself that he'd done off a photo of me for Christmas. It's occupying a place of honor under the bed until I can bear to look at it again (I need to allow a little time for the not-so-good memories to fade out before I can hang it), but I don't think I could ever part with it. I'd love to be able to turn around and do that for someone else.

So there you have it. If you possess any of these skills and wouldn't mind taking an uncoordinated novice under your wing, I'd be happy to offer a few lessons in cookie or cake making in exchange.