Not quite a night at the Apollo

The whole point of talent is to be really good at something...naturally. Of course I would like to be a talented athlete/singer/writer/artist, but it's those little talents that knock my socks off. Here are abilities that I am particularly envious of:

1) The ability to...Take a fabulous self-picture
Perhaps my sister has longer arms which make the angle better or the lighting just right. Perhaps I am not photogenic - either way, she gets in great shots in front on scenic settings with just a press of a button and I am becoming a devote study on my camera's timer settings. Go ahead, it's okay to hate her for this.


2) The ability to...Keep a straight face during auctions
Attending live auctions is a lot like playing poker: you are up against others to win the prize, you use a card or cards as your tool to play and you need a stoic face to be any good at it. I am crap at both bidding at auctions and playing poker. My mom is a master at auctions and I bet she could keep a straight face at poker, if she had to.

3) The ability to...Belt out 'your song' at a karaoke bar
I have no idea if my friend Mandy can sing (I am guessing she can), but she can definitely belt out the song "Because the Night" on karaoke night. She owns that song - and the bar - when she sings it. Meanwhile, you'll find me bellied up to the bar for one more shot of courage before my song.

4) The ability to...Pick out the perfect gift
The only thing better than not having this ability is being on the gift list for this person. Actually, the real talent lies in befriending said person and basking in the glow of getting great gifts!

5) The ability to...Order the best dish at a restaurant
This is one part knack and two parts luck. But coming across that dish that is absolutely amazing and makes everyone at the table wistful is an art form.
A quick aside: I don't know anyone who does this consistently, but we all know people that seem to order an amazing dish frequently.

6) The ability to...Use a camera timer correctly.
In compensating for lack of talent 1) I have found a new talent that also eludes me.