The “Dodgeball is a tool of oppression” thread brought up the topic of scarring childhood experiences and deep personal deficits. What are yours? What are you hopeless at?
For me:
Speed. I’m well coordinated, have quick reflexes, and have good stamina but I have never been able to run fast. As a child I was always dead last in any running race. I can run 5 miles, but a 9 minute mile? Dream on.
Sense of direction. I can walk around a corner and get lost. Thank God for nav systems. I’ve learned to leave myself backtracking signs in the woods, without which I’d likely be found by a rescue party a week after setting out for a one hour hike.
I make pancakes frequently. They’re always terrible. Actually, they taste ok, but they look awful. I just can’t figure out how to get them to look like the ones you see in magazines.
I was so incredibly bad at anything in gym class or requiring coordination (or speed, or strength) that I still feel awful about it and anxious and never exercise (other than trying to take stairs when I can, etc.). The experience has really had a powerful negative influence on my life. I think I’m going to get my son to show me what to do in a gym. He might laugh at me, but he will be kind.
Accepting compliments. Always turns into an unnecessarily awkward moment, not sure why I have such an issue with this.
Sticking to any strenuous exercise routine beyond walking. Sit ups, push ups, machines, squats, running etc., = all the nopes. Nearly 40, I consider it a win that my stomach is still flat but the odds of me ever having visible abs and a firm butt are slim to none.
Parallel parking. Can’t do it and won’t even make the attempt. If it means passing up a close spot and walking back thats fine.
Interesting thread!
Many things on my list, but 2 things on the top for me are math and inability to make on the spot decisions…even on simple matters.
Singing. I am so bad that in mandatory chorus class in HS, the teacher told me I would get an A if he never heard a sound emanate from my throat. I was thrilled to get an A. Can you imagine that going down today?
Math, or anything requing use of numbers, Speaking Foreign Language ( which are all tied together).
Parking
Drawing or cutting
Anything requiring physical coordination
I can however make quick decisions and confess that I relish examples of those who endlessly mull over decisions only to have them be as bad as any quick decision. My fried who spent the entire nine months of her pregnancy discussing amd agaonizing over the name of her kid to come up with the “perfect name” comes to mind. Very early in our pregnancies which we shared I told her the name and I had chosen. She told me she loved the name Kate but was working on making the decisions for the perfect name. This involved 16 baby name books. Endless pro and con lists and almost nightly discussions with her husband. Not to mention a discussion of a slew of discussions every time we got together, with me often saying “ you’ve always loved the name Kate, why not that!
So they named the baby Eloise. And 2 weeks after she had a complete panic over “ hating that nane’ and they changed it to Kate.
Anything requiring hand/eye coordination. Take ping pong-I think I’m right there, I swing, and miss. Maybe it’s a depth perception thing because I also think I’ve pulled up in a parking space only to see that I’m a couple of feet shy of where I thought I was. Glad my new car has a function that shows you exactly how you are positioned in the parking space when you put it in park.
Sense of direction (even with a navigation system!) and any sport that requires hand-eye coordination are at the top of my list. Small talk - an impossibility for me!
