diana sat in mrs. williamson's 4th grade class studying the palms of her hands. no one else knew what was about to happen. but as soon as jennifer finished her report, the whole class would know...
they would know what only diana had known for the past three days. those hands. those thin, small hands --which would have begun to look like raccoon paws to anyone else, if they had stared at them all morning. but diana didn't care what they looked like.
"...and my dad said i could bring it home with me." {pause}
"is that all, jennifer?"
"yeah."
"thank you jennifer!"
then there was silence. not a lot, but more than diana could take.
she was the first to clap. and she clapped and clapped and clapped until she was the last one clapping. she would have stopped sooner but she wasn't convinced everyone had noticed her amazing ability to clap louder than a grown-up. she settled into her chair, thrilled that another presentation was about to start.
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come on!!!!! you know what i'm talking about. we all have them. those secret, pet talents that we don't talk about -- well, unless something vaguely related comes up in conversation. then you're all too eager to share your amazing ability to blow saliva bubbles or spot wildlife from the freeway.
as a kid you're unashamed. perfectly proud of what you can do. then in the between years you have a couple awkward experiences and you become a little more reserved about your super powers (granted for some, those between years come a little late). then, as an adult you realize although it's still uncool to brag about yourself, some people find clever ways of showcasing their watermelon-cutting skills at the party without seeming too self-promoting.
and that's when it hits you...like a big st. bernard covered in mud, running through your whole house (and of course the dog is dragging a dog house with the leash around its neck, which indiscriminately destroys everything - not unlike superman through the hull of an oceanliner). and also, the dog runs right by you at the end of the scene and the dog house hits you full-on, but it doesn't destroy you it just makes you pop up into the air like a warm piece of toast.
so did it hit you?
yes, that's when it hits you...you will NEVER get a good chance to use your pet talent. you will never win $250 and a trip to vermont on where in the world is carmen sandiego? even though you memorized all those national geographic board game questions. and you will never record claps for the beatles or the shins. no one will walk into the lecture hall and yell, "is anyone a doctor? or better yet, can anyone blow saliva bubbles?!!!!!" and well, i guess you already knew cutting watermelon wouldn't save gotham city.
and so you begin to find ways to share your talents. until you're syndrome from the incredibles.
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okay, enough about me...for now. what are your super powers?
13 comments:
In Korea I actually learned how to clap very loudly. Diana knows I am really good at meowing like a cat- really! JUST like one. I swear. But what about you Martin?
I can do a really great character voice I call the "Yoshi Voice." I may get a job someday on a Nintendo themed animated movie!? I HOPE Pixar is a partner.
Also, I'm above average at spotting wildlife. You should have seeeeen me at the zoo...
not about me, but amazing to me nonetheless...kurtis can cut a perfect slice of cheese from the block with a butter knife. might sound trivial, but man it sure does impress me.
meow? that reminds me. the other day i called to some goats in a field. they stopped eating, looked at me, and both said, "ba'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a." i just hope i didn't say something offensive.
yoshi? i don't know he ever talked.
wow! kurt can do that? he should disarm bombs or something.
yes this is the kind of stuff i want to hear about.
thomas, why haven't we heard this voice? that's criminal. martin forgot to mention that i can fly. that's a pretty good trick.
I can make deluxe treats. Sometimes I look for excuses to show people pictures of the homemade candy corn I made last fall. And I pretend I'm making treats for people because I like those people, but really, I just want to showcase my talent. Okay, that's not completely true...
Also, I'm an amateur sleuth. Sometimes I like people to get stumped in their search for things so I can show them how it's done.
I also like to go through the security line at the airport just so I can show people that they're morons for taking so long to get through. I usually carry 2 laptops, a bag of liquids/lotions, 2 cell phones, and I'm often wearing a cardigan and boots or sandals with buckles and I can still get through faster than a speeding bullet.
I used to like it when I could sing in front of people--along with the radio or something--so they would tell me that I had a nice voice. But that's sort of a normal talent.
Handwriting. I used to wish people would need me to write something because I thought my handwriting was so radical in middle school.
I thought I'd leave a comment to detract from the fact that Dani has 20 superpowers. My power is that I understand human motivations. I can read people and why they do things and what they are like. I never really make that much use of my power, but it helps me be a better friend. Also, I may have received my superpower after I read 80 Agatha Christie novels. Miss Marple lovers, you know what I'm talking about.
I am a master gleeker, you know that spit thing you do with your tongue? Seriously, I am really really good at it. I used to do it in class(sometimes even in college) and laugh so hard when I would see the other kid's desks in front of me with sprinkles of my spit. It's such a light mist, so everyone would always be so confused and never know it was me.
Next time we skype I'll do the voice.
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