By Jackie Roe, TW Social Director
TGIF! How is everyone doing? Last week's Deuce Club on tennis dreams was a real hoot - we'll have to do it again soon. If you happen to have a tennis dream that you'd be willing to share with the TWibe, feel free to e-mail me all the juicy details here.
Our TennisWorld > Real World Facebook group has reached yet another milestone - we now have over 200 members! Make sure you introduce yourself in there if you haven't already. Also, if you have any ideas on how to better bridge TW (via the DCs) and the Facebook group, send 'em my way. I'd really like for them to be more in sync with one another, if at all possible.
!Computer This week at work, my team met with the powers-that-be from a software development company we plan to work with on a huge departmental initiative (that probably didn't make much sense to you - don't worry, you're not the only one). I sat in on several meetings over two days, wherein we discussed all of the ins and outs of the project. Sounds pretty boring, right? Oh, but it was anything but!
I was enthralled. I felt both excited and fortunate to be privy to such knowledge - the technology gurus', that is. I was all the more impressed by their expertise because theirs is a field that I find baffling and know next to nothing about.
I realized in that moment that I'm attracted to experts. What do I mean by that? Basically, I'm drawn to those who are proficient in a specific area or field. Passion plays a significant role, too. Being good at something is one thing; being good at that something and caring about it is quite another. It's the latter that hooks me.
I'm sure that this appeals to me in others because it's what I aspire to. (Forgive me for regurgitating some of the same thoughts expressed in the "dream jobs" DC.)
Surely, this aspiration fueled my desire to uncover as much as I could - as anyone could - about wrestling. Not consciously, of course. A voice deep inside the nether regions of my brain said, "I want to be an expert in something! And if I'm going to pick a subject, I might as will pick one that's unexpected - and one that doesn't already have its fair share of proclaimed experts. A-ha! What about wrestling? That more that fits the bill!"
This isn't to say that I don't have a genuine interest in wrestling. Clearly, I do or else I would've given up on it long ago. Watching it week in and week out, reading articles, keeping up with behind-the-scenes news ... that's time- and energy-consuming stuff! Not meant for someone who's doing it just to do it. But I'll admit that I'm motivated to continue pursuing this interest because of its connection to my identity. I want to be a wrestling expert. I like that it's become a part of me... and a part of what others see.
(Of course, as I mature, I become increasingly aware that neither our professions nor our interests define us. The same goes for our relationships. We are not our jobs, our hobbies, our friends, or our significant others. But advancing this notion doesn't do this post much good, so I'll leave it at that for now. Ha!)
I've fallen prey to this "expertise appeal" in other arenas. Exhibit A: I've spent countless hours watching YouTube clips of Kenny Wormald, a professional dancer. He's one of the best in the world at what he does, which means I find his talent irresistable. I alternately admire and envy him, want to meet him and want to be him.
!Amelie And then of course, there's tennis (Exhibit B).
Why do I hoard my vacation days and paychecks just to go on a 4-day trip to a tennis tournament? Because when I'm there, I'm as close to expertise as it gets. Tennis expertise, of course. It's exhilarating to be around these men and women who have worked their entire lives to achieve an intense level of experience in their field. (Photo: Amelie Mauresmo, taken in Indian Wells. An example of being "close" to the action.)
While I can never be a player at that level myself, I can sure as hail work to do as much tennis viewing/research as possible so I can be my own kind of tennis expert. That's one of the many reasons why I spend so much time camping out right here in TW. It's an enjoyable undertaking, for sure, because of my affinity for tennis ... but it also feeds that side of me (well, my ego, more like) that needs to be really good at something. In this case, "good" means having a boatload of knowledge.
Yet as my work example attests (and the wrestling and tennis ones, to an extent), you don't have to look to celebrities to find authority, brilliance, or genius. It's everywhere, in everyone. There's a little bit of expert in all of us. Even you. points finger at TWibe Whether or not you empathize with all of the sentiments presented here ("Being well-rounded is more important than putting all your eggs in one basket!"), you've got to concede that.
So I'd like for you now to share your areas of expertise! Maybe you dance like Kenny or can assemble a computer in an hour. Maybe you studied microbiology for 8 years. Maybe tennis is your specialty - in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.
If you're convinced you're not an authority in anything, step back a bit and just consider everyday activities you excel at. It could be making puns or making cheesecake. Giving good advice or giving good hugs. Knowing all of the state capitals or knowing all of the American Idol contestants from the past 35 seasons. They may seem mundane, but if you think about it, they required talent and/or time to hone, too, right? So those are fair game!
How about if you start your comment with "__ Expert," then explain how your expertise came about, what you like about this field/subject, etc. You can be an expert in more than one thing, of course, so don't limit yourself (Renaissance guys and gals around?). Ready, set, go!
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[[Important programming note: Next week we'll have a special guest hosting the DC, as I'll be heading out of town for the weekend. The topic? Monica Seles's revelatory biography, Getting a Grip on My Body, My Mind, My Self. If you've already read it, make sure you come by, equipped with your impressions. If you haven't read it and won't have read it by next Friday, of course you're welcome to hang out, ask questions about the book, and/or share your experiences as a Monica fan (or non-fan, I suppose). I wish I could be around for that one!]]*