So seeing (hearing) Ryan Adams display his songwriting prowess below got me to thinking: why is it just as easy for Ryan Adams to write a song as it is for me to type out this post? There's a whole conversation to be had about what talent is, and how there are many greats who have been extraordinarily blessed (Tiger Woods, MJ, A-Rod, Andrew Bird (he's my current singer-songwriter hero), etc) and obviously have an overabundance of creativity, intelligence and fast-twitch muscles. It has been said of an athelete like Ichiro Suzuki that not only is he quick as a cat and has an amazing eye for the ball, he is also a mathematical genius who can perform long division of 4-digit numbers in his head. So there's one way of looking at this and saying, "wow they're special, I'm not, I'll just sit back and enjoy." Then there are the times when our heroes are brought down to earth. When they're shown to be just as human as the rest of us. I'll never forget the time when Elder Maxwell, probably my all-time favorite apostle, came to visit our mission. In between his talks he checked his watch, then slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a little prescription bottle of little green pills and took one. It seemed such a normal, vulnerable, human thing for such a giant of a man to do. As I get older and begin to take stock of where I am, I'm realizing more and more how my daily decisions shape my present and future. Maybe MJ is on another plane, but even he spent countless hours taking jump shot after jump shot after jump shot to perfect his stroke. Not saying I could be MJ (by ANY stretch), but if I put that kind of investment in, who knows…maybe I at least could have started for our deacon's team. M Ward does things with a guitar that I cannot even register…but wouldn't 30 mins a day of consistent practicing make me at least a passable guitar player over time? In NY I home taught a great man, and also a very humble man, who started playing guitar in his late 20's, just for fun and originally just for his kids…now the guy plays Bach and Stevie Ray Vaughan. So it seems that of all the talents one can have the talent to persevere and work hard and focus may be the most important one to have. The talent of understanding the value of time and, while continuing to live a balanced life and not getting too crazy, making the most of the moments while you're in them. Ok I'm turning into Anthony Robbins so I should stop before my thoughts get too watered down.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Distribution of Wealth
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I've always considered myself a "Mario" (the plumber/princess saver). He can't jump the highest, isn't the fastest racer (MarioKart for the win!), and isn't the flashiest. But he's a steady guy, pretty good at just about everything he puts his mind to. I'm content to be Mario. So far, I haven't found anything that I excel at (nothing to make me a prodigy), but I have never found anything I can't do.
I feel that in 99% of the human race's case, hard work makes the scholar a genius, the music player an artist, the writer a poet. The other 1% (the born geniuses, artists, poets) try their hand at those things and get the essence of it (whatever it may be) and stick with it until they become better than most of us could ever be. But where would we glean human inspiration from if not from those who possess uncommon talent in the areas that we strive only to become literate in?
Also, big brother, I think you don't give yourself enough credit. I think that in some ways, you are far more talented and are far more advanced than any one of those geniuses. We all have our talents and we all have something special that no one else on the whole planet has. Our goal is to find it, and let it shine.
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