Smarts

“Finally I came to think that maybe everything we need to know, ever, about anything, is already within us, waiting till we call for it.”  ― Richard Bach, A Gift Of Wings

Of course. How else do you explain how how mothers "just know" what their babies need? How do people learn to ride a bike, until we need to? How can children be musical geniuses? Because we seek out those gifts, and the knowledge is there.

I've always had a thing for words. I was reading as many books as possible as a kid, having a grandmother that worked for a publishing house helped. Actually got in trouble in elementary school for not answering the teacher, because I was reading a library book hidden inside my textbook. I knew the answer, but was deep in thought. I think I wrote my first poems in sixth grade. Then some lyrics in high school, when my first love was in a rock band. I never sent anything in for publication until I was maybe 21, but lo to my surprise I was recorded. And became a published poet. And then hit a wall and didn't write crap for a decade. Okay, two decades. 

The internet opened up writing again, I could converse online with some witty comments or knowledge. When I needed a voice, I found it. I made friends in NASCAR forums, cat discussion forums, political forums. Then came Facebook. 2007 was when I signed up, and never looked back. Didn't start blogging until 2008, when politics encroached in my life and I had to speak up. 

I saw a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon once that described me well. The teacher asked Calvin an question about math, to which he had no answer. He replied that he couldn't tell her that answer, but he knew all the Marvel superheros and their powers. The last frame featured him bemoaning to Hobbes that he wasn't stupid, he just had a thorough command of totally useless knowledge. I felt his pain.

It's really only useless until we need to use it. Call up your passion, your strength, and watch as you amaze yourself.