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dolorosa_12For quite a while, I hosted regular Friday open threads here on Dreamwidth. Every Friday, I'd pose a question — generally something fairly light and undemanding — and people would post their responses in the comments. In 2021 I was completely wiped out for large portions of the year, and so I let this fall dormant. Now, however, I'm feeling full of energy and purpose, so I've decided to revive these weekly posts — especially since one of my intentions this year is to boost discussion and community on Dreamwidth.
To start things off, today's question is: what is a talent you have that is useful or helpful in a way that cannot be monetised? In other words, something which benefits you or other people, but could never be tied to a job, or monetary payment of any kind — something whose use is solely in making life easier in some non-monetary way.
My answer is a weird one, but it's a talent I seem to have had for all of my adult life and indeed much of my childhood as well: I am really, really good at getting a seat on public transport (or any other context where seating is not ticketed and assigned). If it's a crowded train with a queue of people, I'm pretty much guaranteed to find one of a limited number of seats before they run out, if there are lots of options, I always get to my preferred seat in time, and if I'm travelling with other people, I always manage to get two seats together, four seats together, or the required number of seats close by one another. I also use this same talent in ensuring that my hand luggage is stored above my seat on planes (rather than having to put it elsewhere because other passengers have filled up the available space near me), and in making sure that I am at the front of any queue when getting out of planes rather than being stuck behind slow people who take ages to get out of their seats. I don't think this is down to luck, and I'm not a pushy person (I don't barge to the front of queues, although I do run along train platforms next to arriving trains to ensure I'm going to end up right next to the doors when they open) — I think it's a combination of being really quick and really observant of my surroundings. Obviously, of course, I immediately give up seats to those who need them more if this is required.
As I say, it's a weird and inconsequential talent, it cannot be monetised in any way, and its sole use is in making my life somewhat easier and more pleasant.
What about all of you?
To start things off, today's question is: what is a talent you have that is useful or helpful in a way that cannot be monetised? In other words, something which benefits you or other people, but could never be tied to a job, or monetary payment of any kind — something whose use is solely in making life easier in some non-monetary way.
My answer is a weird one, but it's a talent I seem to have had for all of my adult life and indeed much of my childhood as well: I am really, really good at getting a seat on public transport (or any other context where seating is not ticketed and assigned). If it's a crowded train with a queue of people, I'm pretty much guaranteed to find one of a limited number of seats before they run out, if there are lots of options, I always get to my preferred seat in time, and if I'm travelling with other people, I always manage to get two seats together, four seats together, or the required number of seats close by one another. I also use this same talent in ensuring that my hand luggage is stored above my seat on planes (rather than having to put it elsewhere because other passengers have filled up the available space near me), and in making sure that I am at the front of any queue when getting out of planes rather than being stuck behind slow people who take ages to get out of their seats. I don't think this is down to luck, and I'm not a pushy person (I don't barge to the front of queues, although I do run along train platforms next to arriving trains to ensure I'm going to end up right next to the doors when they open) — I think it's a combination of being really quick and really observant of my surroundings. Obviously, of course, I immediately give up seats to those who need them more if this is required.
As I say, it's a weird and inconsequential talent, it cannot be monetised in any way, and its sole use is in making my life somewhat easier and more pleasant.
What about all of you?
no subject
Date: 2022-01-09 11:17 am (UTC)