wordy dating incompetence

there are so many things on which i have absolutely NO clue. while i'm a self proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, have no allusions, i am definitely a master at none of them.

however, i do have the uncanny ability to get myself into situations for which there is no other recourse than learn my way out of it. this attribute has found me in tight spaces stripping wires, high places rigging ropes, and low places trying desperately to claw my way up. it not only forces me to be in places i would love to avoid, but puts me with people i, other wise, wouldn't have known, a blessing for a fairly anti-socialite such as myself, people with the knack.

scott adams defines the knack as a intuitive understanding of all things electrical and mechanical accompanied by utter social ineptitude. since i don't claim to have the market cornered on either one of the former traits, neither do i pretend to fall complete victim to latter. being the product of a texas, black-dirt farm, however, i don't interact well with others, and this is the wet paper bag that i'm currently learning my way out of.

as does a good thinker not always a good engineer make, neither does a good speaker always find his social agenda full, but when a knack-ridden rural-ite finds himself in a social situation he tries desperately to move attention off of himself. example:

several weeks ago i met a young lady for dinner and she, unexpectedly, brought several other lady friends. having come straight from work, i was not necessarily dressed to impress and not feeling too terribly charming. yet, there i was with four lovely young women, one especially, trying to live up to the opportunity. on the outside i was poised, confident, witty and calm, but it was, predictably, an all together other story in my head.

i was constantly repeating, "don't say anything nerdy, don't say anything nerdy," when one of my female companions said (over the wine i only pretended to fully appreciate), "what is it you do?" dammit!

oh well, live and learn...