Showing off

I received another blog-worthy daily challenge this week: List 5 traits, skills, or talents you're happy you have.

This one was harder for me to write about. I consider myself to be modest about my own skills and capabilities, so I want to be able to share this list without feeling egotistical. I also challenged my BFF to write a post on this topic. Here's her post.

And here's my list....

1. Writing. I think I'm a fairly good writer, both on a personal and a fictional level. I've received good feedback for "Fiction Friday" posts in the past. That was definitely encouraging. I also have received positive comments about my personal posts. (And not just from my mom. :) ) When I was in high school, I wrote a short play that got published in a literary magazine, entered into a contest and directed by two different people in my directing class. It was exciting to see my work put on stage and I also enjoyed receiving positive feedback on it. It didn't win in the contest, but I was pleased that the creative writing teacher entered it in the contest at all. She also entered another story I wrote into a contest. I think it received an honorable mention. Nowadays, I think it would be cool to write a fictional novel, but I seem to lack the motivation.

2. Cooking. I'm nowhere near as gourmet as my husband and tend to use safe and easy recipes. However, people are always pleased with what I produce. My stepfather-in-law seems to be a fan of my cooking, which is a huge compliment because he seems to have a gourmet palate and likes the finer things. He compares my cooking to places that I can't imagine aspiring to (like Zadie's Bakery in NJ).

3. Bringing People Together. My friend jokes about "Six Degrees of Melissa" because I tend to connect a lot of friends to one another. Sometimes it's my high school and college friends. Other times, my Internet and community friends. I tend to mix everyone together. I love that Facebook opens up this ability even more! If I think two people would get along well, I don't hesitate to introduce them.

4. Pop Culture Trivia. Another friend calls me the "Melissa Movie Database." I seem to know which actors were in certain movies. I also have what seems like useless knowledge of sitcoms, movies, Broadway shows, etc. Sometimes this trivia comes in handy and can be used to my advantage when making bets. :)

5. Confidence. I like myself. It took some time to get to this place, as I didn't have much confidence as a kid. It came later, like when I did forensics in high school. My confidence wavered a bit when we moved from Chicago to New Jersey, but I got it back over time and it has come back full force now that we live in Maryland. It's what gave me the push I needed to start Chick Lit Central and what helps me keep it going strong. I hope to instill the same level of confidence in my kids, especially my oldest child.