Complex Numbers

Master Peace

Make a list of five things you wish you could be a master of. Be sure to explain why you chose what you did.



I don't have such wishes anymore.

It's not that I don't want to master anything; it's that time has convinced me that the important part of being really good at something is the learning and practice part - the "getting there" bit, not the "being there" situation.

This is, of course, directly analogous to my travel philosophy: that there is no destination, only journey.

But, since I consider these prompts excuses to think of things I might not think of otherwise, I'll give this a shot. So here, in no particular order, are five things I wish I could be a master of.

1. Writing. That should be obvious, given what website we're perusing. Of all the items on this list (or so I say now, before I've finalized the other four), this is the only one I'm actively working on. As I've said before, I don't think it's possible to achieve perfection in this; there are just too many things to learn, practice, and coordinate. Also, "mastery" looks different for everyone. But there's one way to know when it has been achieved: when one is published, widely read, and possibly rewarded for one's work. I don't think I'll ever get there, but like I said - it's the journey that matters to me. Why? Because I think that words can change the world, and I still have an urge to leave my mark, somehow.

2. Myself. Yeah, I know this is a little off-key for this list, but it's what came to mind. As with, I believe, most people, I'm always torn between what I want and what I want, pulled in different directions, perhaps by the proverbial and on my shoulders - and I don't even believe in the supernatural. For instance, the other day, I went out to lunch with an old friend. On the menu was a pastrami reuben. Also on the menu was a steak salad. The reuben, obviously, had the higher calorie count, a potentially debilitating quantity of sodium, and an overdose of the kind of dietary lipids that are not conducive to heart health. As I am still working on weight loss - successfully, I might add - I wanted to order the salad, which featured loads of leafy vegetables, lean meat, and the option for dressing on the side for portion control. But I also wanted to order the reuben, because pastrami is delicious. Naturally, I ended up ordering the reuben, and I'm still beating myself up over it, even though it was, indeed, delicious. So I wish I could be a master of myself. Why? So I would not make self-destructive choices that are opposed to my longer-term goals.

3. Music. This one's pretty simple, really; I just always wished I had musical talent. Piano, violin, guitar, voice, whatever. Why? Because I can express things with music in a way that can't be done with words. I mean, I have enough technical ability to do so to some extent, but it would be nice to not have the neighbors calling the cops because they think I'm torturing my cats. (On the other hand, lack of talent in other areas is what pushed me into writing, so, as a blind person might find their other senses heightened, it's probably best that I don't split my efforts. Still, this list is, as I see it, more about wishes than reality.)

4. Language. Though, honestly, I haven't seriously tried to learn another language in a long time, I don't think I'd be very good at it. But I wish I could be. Why? So I could travel to other countries with greater confidence and communicate with people from other cultures.

5. Baiting. Why? Because I cannot resist a pun, even when it's obvious and painful to other people. Especially when it's obvious and painful to other people.

But, as I noted above, it's not about being a master, at least not for me. Dreams are shadows; goals are elusive; the destination is always over the horizon. But the journey is meaningful.