My "Wierd Everyone Out" post for the day

[mfree]

Me, I always thought I was desined for Grape Nuts.

Another bowl?

I think those things cause hearing loss.

Huh? Did you say something?

[K Frame]

I'm Ewuell Gibbons, naturalist and Grape Nuts spokesman.

Ever eat bear *expletive deleted*it? Tastes just like Grape Nuts....

[Myself]

I remember watching an interview with Bill Murry a few years back.  He said that many people want to become rich and famous.  He recomended trying rich first and seeing how you like it because it's a lot easier to get out of than famous.   

[glockfan.45]

That isn't the term, the term is "renaissance man".  Like Thomas Jefferson or Teddy Roosevelt.

Jefferson and Roosevelt dont really count as renaissance men. Davinci, and Franklin were renaissance men.

I can undestand what Brad was trying to convey in his post. I think every man goes through life with the thought that one day he will be remembered for something great. Its just too bad that most will never accomplish that goal. I was thinking about this the other day, and came to the conclusion that my chance for something great is probably passed. I'm too old to start a career in politics now and become the next Jefferson, Kennedy, or Reagan. My name will likely never be on the side of an aircraft carrier, or college. I lack the knowledge in science to be a Einstien, or Hawkings. While I have collected a large amount of personal firepower, I doubt I have enough to become a new Alexander the Great, or Kahn. Heck after I pass the only people that will remember me are my children, and one day my grandchildren. When they die one day in the future my name will be forever lost in the misty shroud of history. Oh well at least nobody will remember my mistakes.

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

Brad,

I feel/have felt so many of the same feelings, and wish there were solid, tangible answers (like, 42) to solving this.

Where to start?
Okay.  Here's what I've discovered, in a bit of a stream-of-consciousness kind of approach.

John Adams said
"I must study politics and war...
that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture,
in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

So we see a 3 generation model for family prosperity and development.
Which generation are you?  Metaphorically speaking,
Are you having to fight for your freedom?
Are you having to establish infrastructure?
Are you able to give rise to what Maslow refers to as Self-Actualization, to express artistic and personally specific fields of interest/of study?

The bible (which IIRC, is important in your life) gives many examples of men and women whose ministry and lives never really "caught fire" until what we would consider late in life.  Abraham, Moses, Methuselah all come to mind.
In addition, I've heard Jesus' cry on the cross of "Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabach tha'ni" interpreted not as "why have you forsaken me?", but as "Father, for  this purpose, I was spared."
There may be one, amazing, earth-changing situation for which you are here, not unlike the convergence of the Man-Moment-Machine show on Discovery.  Right place, right time, ONE right man: You.

Back to Adams.  Are you raising great kids? Have you made sacrifices for them?  Have you instilled character in them that will lead up to THEM being the right "Man-Moment-Machine"?  It's difficult to accept that in the larger picture, we may be the genetic bridge between our own ancestors and the next Godel-Escher-Bach-Einstein-Jung-Billy Graham-Mozart-Whoever.

I once read (rock band Kansas') Kerry Livgren's autobiography "Seeds of Change".  I identified so closely with so many of his early experiences of life, musically, spiritually, and in every way.  What I saw in his story that was obviously missing in mine was a mentor (right man, right place, right time) who sparked his love of music, and was musically literate enough to challenge him onward toward his own potential.  Did you/have you ever had that in your life?  Can you BE that in someone's life?

And finally, at 45, I've begun to see some of my heroes of the previous generation struck down before their time, before their productive years were really over.   As a result, I've come to adopt much of the "live each day as if it were your last" mindset.  Enjoying a good sunset on the deck looking out over the valley, a single-malt whiskey, and the company of my true love becomes far more important in the scheme of things.
Love your wife, love your kids.  Love your friends, love your God.
Be thankful, express gratitude for each day you wake up on this side of the turf.

Hope it helps!
Fig

P.S. Dick (Monkeyleg) was right.  When the problem is that you have the potential to do many, many things well enough to pursue them either as vocation or avocation, it IS a difficult thing.

Curly on City Slickers was right.  If you really want to resolve this, you have to focus on ONE thing, give it all you have.  Once success is achieved in that particular arena, you may want to branch into some of the other things you do well that spark your interest. 
There's a limit to what we can do within the span of threescore and ten.  Make it count.

[Mabs2]

This is going to sound strange, but it's something I've thought about for a long time.  You see, I've always thought I was destined for greatness.  No, not Patton-esque "destined to (insert specific accomplishment here)", just an overall absolute certainty that I will be or do something incredible and wonderful.  As of late it's become something of an obsession, fueled in part, I imagine, by the underlying psychological significance of the 4 that will prefix my age come next January.

Trouble is, I don't know what to do.  More specifically, I can't decide what not to do.  You see, the problem is not lack of interest.  Rather, it's an overabundance of it.  I'm interested in everything - you name it and I'll set to learning all I can about it, sometimes to the point of being rediculous.  Every direction I look there's something I could do or be.  All this "want to" but not enough of me to hit every point of interest, not by a long shot.  I liken it to the contestant in the money box - so much money blowing around they can't decide which one to grab.  Unfortunately, the end result is that they usually don't get anything.

Therein lies the crux of my dilemma.  I'm so interested in everything that I haven't really specialized in anything.  It's comically maddening at times.  And in the back of my mind - every waking hour of every day - this "destiny" thing sitting there like a caged animal, just pacing, biding it's time, and waiting for the moment it can spring free.  Except now it's pressing agains the bars and trying to push it's way out.

Okay, that probably makes me sound slightly nuts.  But, hey, who isn't at times?

Brad

I'm the same way.
I have many hobbies and many things I want to get into, but I can never decide which I want to spend the most time in.