First Person Singular » Daily Life

CONTEST: What is Your Natural Gift?

wendy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:46:57 +0000

We’re launching a CONTEST today. The prize is the exquisite new novel by Aimee Bender,
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, which has received some of the best reviews of the year, and a coveted slot on Oprah’s top summer reads. It’s easy to enter. But to win, get ready to brag.

Bender tells the story of Rose, a young girl, who discovers an eerie ability to taste feelings in food. We’d like to hear about YOUR natural gift. (e.g, here’s mine.) What comes most easily to you? What distinct talent does it seem you were born with? Your natural gift doesn’t need to be grand, nor do-goody, just authentic. Comments must be received by AUGUST 9, 2010, and include your full name, email address, and a U.S. shipping address (for delivery purposes). Enter as often as you like because the book is a gem, and hardcovers could soon become collector’s items.

Don’t Look Your Gift Horse in the Mouth

wendy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:32:49 +0000

The way I remember it, the first time I sat down at a typewriter, it was as if my fingers knew exactly what to do. QWERTY was like ABC, to me, and before long, I was speedily clicking away, like I was born with the talent. Sadly, secretarial skills are not a sexy or lucrative natural gift. I’d much prefer being a great composer, tennis player or astrophysicist, and that brings me to, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. What does that mean, anyway? The proverb, dating back to 1546, advises us to resist the urge to look at a gift’s price tag, in this case, the teeth of a horse, which was a sure way to determine its age and therefore its value. But is there really such a thing as inborn talent?
K. Anders Ericsson, who has made a career studying extraordinary people, writes that what’s more important than talent, is our willingness and ability to work harder than everyone else.
Check back tomorrow for the announcement of a new CONTEST.

Image: Galloping horse using a series of photos shot by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878.

Getting Beyond Group Think

wendy — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:09:19 +0000

From writer Jonah Lehrer, How We Decide -

While waiting in line for my cappuccino this weekend, I was ready to punch myself in the face, as I realized that everyone in line was wearing the exact same uniform: artfully frayed jeans, quirky printed t-shirts, flannel shirts, messy hair, etc. And we were all staring at the same gadget, and probably reading the same damn website. In other words, our pose of idiosyncratic uniqueness was a big charade. Self-loathing alert!

Let’s make a pact to do something at least once a week to get beyond our own echo chambers. I know someone who subscribes to email blasts from politicians she doesn’t agree with, in order to understand what they’re thinking. Jonah Lehrer makes a case for reaching out to people we don’t know, through social networking. Maybe I’ll strike up a conversation with a Tea Party follower, up the street.

Image: This is Where You Are, 2003, by Chris Johanson

When You Need Help Finding a Stud

wendy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:42:12 +0000

Somewhere along the path of becoming an adult, I chose not to learn how to do home repair. It might be genetic. My father had a dedicated workroom in our basement, but never used it, and during the era of my childhood, nice Jewish girls didn’t hammer. I’m all thumbs when it comes to even the simplest things, like pounding a nail straight into the wall, climbing on ladders, hauling heavy debris. I turn, instead, to paid professionals, or in an emergency, understanding friends who take pity on me. On weekends, my next-door neighbor is often working on home improvement projects, from building deck chairs, to installing windows, and I’m humbled by her zeal for what looks like a tedious way to spend the day.

Are E-Book Readers Happier Than the Rest of Us?

wendy — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:49:37 +0000

I’m moved by the power of threes -
1. All set to renew my bi-annual subscription to The New Yorker, I balked. Will there be print magazines in two years? (I re-upped for a year.)
2. Endorsing a new book on his FB page, a friend wrote, “kindled it, read it, recommend it.”
3. Amazon announces today that sales of e-books have now exceeded those of hard covers.

Leafing through real paper is starting to feel quaint. Over the weekend, while my brother reveled in his new iPad, I played around with a Barnes and Noble Nook. Tell me, E-BOOK READERS – Are you satisfied? Which device do you recommend?

Image: See.saw # 6, 2007, by L Filipe dos Santos

Dog Days of Summer

wendy — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:15:47 +0000

Weekends in San Francisco, when the foggy summer weather was such a let down, citizens grabbed their partners to escape the city in search of heat. Sonoma and Napa were popular destinations, or across the Golden Gate Bridge into a balmier Marin. Upstairs in my apartment during July and August, I felt lonely, when I couldn’t wrangle anyone to escape with.

Photograph: Untitled (3 Girls in a Kiosk), by Leon Levinstein

Manicure/Pedicure?

wendy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:50:29 +0000

This surprised me. You can spot a tourist in Rome by looking down at her feet. With no nail salons in sight, my orange-colored toes (as in A Good Mandarin is Hard to Find) were as obvious as a map and a fanny pack. Back in L.A., in perennial sandal season, I feel right at home.

Photograph: Le Bain de Pied, 1998, by Sarah Moon

Why Exercising Saves Money at the Therapist

wendy — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:12:27 +0000

I used to jog around Golden Gate Park, and even though I was bored for the first couple of miles, I liked watching, as if from a distance, fretful thoughts come spilling out of my brain onto the path around Stow Lake. It was great to push my physical limits, and afterwards feel all sweaty and calm. When my knee started hurting, I tried ballet class, instead, which years later, is still never boring to me, despite how much of it is routine. There’s always a chance, with a slight hip adjustment or tightening of my abs, that I’ll land a perfect double pirouette. In either workout scenario, I’d often start off filled with anxiety from the day, and end up limp and relaxed, as if I’d just sipped a martini, or made a visit to the therapist. Here’s more about exercise and the brain.

Some Things You Can’t Do Alone

wendy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:11:41 +0000

There were times after a relationship sputtered out, that I’d consult self-help books to learn what I could do better next time. I’d comb through the pages for exercises to practice, like musical scales, or the pliés and tendues I do in ballet class, only to realize that I couldn’t brush up on my coupling skills alone. I needed a partner for that.

Photograph: The Wedding, 1994, by Sandy Skoglund

When Short Term Gain is Enough. As Least for Now.

wendy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:19:08 +0000

I yanked the ice from the freezer, knowing full well that it wasn’t going to work. I know, because I pay attention to OLD WIVES TALES that have been debunked as medical MYTHS, like antibiotics cure colds, and sugar makes kids hyper. And I remember reading in the Science section of the Times that ice doesn’t speed up healing from a burn, in fact, slows it down, but I grabbed a cube, because I was sure it would feel soothing on my hot flesh, and just maybe, the paper got it wrong. (Benefits of the aloe plant on burns are inconclusive.) It reminds me of all those one night stands, and the gut feeling right beforehand that I’d wake up feeling lousy, but forged ahead anyway.

Illustration: Little Aloe girl, 2010, by Sarah Goodreau