Failing.

Some people excel at things like painting or sculpting or singing or cooking.  Some of us are good at more obscure things.  Me.....I'm pretty good at failing.  I've had a lot of experience with it.  And, I can say, I am proud of it. I've learned so much.

I've failed at so many things: running, computers, accounting, quilting, singing, playing the piano, baking bread (failed at this and continue to do so on a regular basis).  I've failed at marriages, at being a parent, at being a daughter, at being a good friend, at being a good farmer.  Like I said, I'm pretty good at failing.

Failing generally doesn't feel good but boy......the stories that come of failed attempts - not to mention the experience and the self-knowledge that failing inspires.  Failing usually entails a lot of kicking one's self in the butt because we think we didn't see something or didn't do something well enough.  But the good thing is, once we get through the kicking-ourself-in-the-butt stage and rightfully feeling pretty down about it, some really amazing things can happen!

Thinking back on past failures, I know that if I hadn't made some monumental goofs, I would never have returned to school let alone gone on to graduate school.  I would never have moved away, never would have dared to start running let alone enter races, never gone on to make even more catastrophic decisions that would lead to more failures.  And more successes. Having flopped at so many things has made me an expert at getting up, dusting myself off, and trying again.

I think to live a life without failing once in a while even in huge, huge ways, would be the ultimate failure. Life is an adventure and a good adventure is often scary and dangerous.  

One Old Goat has now stepped off her soapbox.