Reply #11: Someone who didn't realize what a burden it is : )

[sohndrsmith]

I qualify as "gifted" or "talented" in a particular area, and it can be a heck of a pain. Sometimes I daydream about how lovely it would be to be without it... or be equipped with a more practical one. : )

Unfortunately for me, it's something I can't ignore, and as talented as I may be, the processes I go through can be so painful and frustrating. It is very much not true that just because someone is gifted in some area that automatically means it is then "easy" for them. It can be, but speaking only from my own experience - it generally isn't. When it is, I'm more surprised than anyone. : )

In fact, I'm generally surprised when I later see what I've produced, and am sort of perplexed, "Did I really do that? I can't do that!" It's sort of comical.

On a more serious note, I think there is much discussion to be had concerning children and how they are "categorized" depending on certain abilities, often (I'm assuming) in regards to only the most obvious ones. I think there are talents and gifts within every child, but if they don't exhibit special skills in one of the few proscribed (prescribed?) areas - academic, creative, athletic, etc., they may misjudge themselves and never realize - or receive encouragement - for the gifts that are unique to them.

Then again, I think encouraging natural or extraordinary traits (talents) is a healthy thing unless it ends up being all-consuming and the child is identified only through this one part of him/her. That can create enormous pressure and distress (particularly if the child decides he's not really interested in whatever he's talented in.

I showed extraordinary ability at a very early age, so much so that it did end up defining me to a large extent. Over time, however, the expectation that I would excel and succeed with this gift into adulthood - was a pretty intense burden. Yes, I certainly had a choice, but it is such a huge part of me that I wanted to be able to succeed with it. Thing is, there are many, many things outside of one's "innate talent" that are required if the goal is to utilize this talent in a meaningful way. The punchline: I'm very much UN-talented in those things regarding my skills.

But I'm not done yet...

So there you go. : )

Having a certain "gift" or "talent" doesn't make an individual a better - or more valuable - human being. That's just hogwash. I think that's my biggest complaint with the issue - if/when there is a measurement of superior (or inferior) depending on these things. That's just harmful, in my view. So I can do "X". Someone else may have blue eyes. To me, they're no different. I was born with what I have, I didn't deliberately decide to do it one day, it was just there. So that, by default, makes it very un-extraordinary....