Talent Inequality

The other night, we watched a friend of ours perform at a theater that was two blocks away from where we live. Had never heard of the Virago theater which is located next to Ruby Skye. We even passed right by it, the building was so discreet. We also got lost trying to find what floor it was on because there was no signage.

I’ve said during the course of my blogging life that I’m happy to support any of my friends, whether that’s cheering them on at a marathon, reading their blogs, attending a concert, whatever creativity they want to share with me, I’m all in.

I have pretty low expectations because we all have our professional jobs and have limited time to practice our craft. If I had 40 hours a week to write, I would be a damn better writer, that’s for sure. But for the most part, I tend to be pleasantly surprised with these events. I’ve seen a friend in a couple plays at the Shelton theater (literally one block away from us) and he was excellent.

When I heard about our friend’s show Zombie Vixens from Hell, again, I figured it was a production that’s mainly for friends and family. I was wrong again. This world premiere musical (created by this theater) so exceeded my expectations, I turned to Dean after the first song and raved, “This is a hundred times better than American Idiot!” There was a well thought out plot, the music was engaging, the acting and singing were superb, it was funny and touching and completely memorable. The show sold out several nights.

Watching our friend sing and dance (which I had no idea she did), I was proud and rather bemused reading her bio. She’s tall, slender, attractive and a doctor and she can sing and dance. Like, hello God, maybe you got a little carried away?

Which got me thinking about baseball phenom Buster Posey and how he postponed his baseball career because he wanted to finish college and did so graduating with honors or on the Dean’s List or some brainiac craziness that should never go hand in hand with athletic prowess. I mean, is that even fair?

Every person should have the good and the bad: the runway model who can’t spell her name, the suicidal genius, the musician with a heroin addiction. This talent balance usually holds true. Madonna can’t really sing. Adelle doesn’t dance. Lady Gaga’s a hermaphrodite. I jest, I jest. Beautiful Rihanna is a bad judge of character. Stevie Wonder’s blind.

Then there are the exceptions, like the liberal arts major who was in my organic chemistry lab to fulfill a breadth requirement and was acing it, bringing up the curve and making it harder for the rest of us science majors. Or the renowned actor James Franco who has a handful of graduate degrees. Enough already! Or Natalie Portman who’s an Academy Award winner, a Harvard grad, and naturally beautiful. Absolute injustice!

I’ve thought that these people have been blessed and happen to be more talented, more creative than the rest of us. Maybe God has been selectively unfair and has surreptitiously doled out more talent to certain humans.

Could it be, though, that these people who espouse a multitude of talents simply believe in themselves and are so confident in what they can accomplish that they continue to succeed over and over and over? Maybe that’s what it is. And if so, I need to give that a try.