On Being an "Expert"

So I'm taking, what is pretty much, a logic class. Yesterday was class number two and I'm already starting to feel like a schmuck compared to all the fools in the class. During a break somehow the topic shifted to nonprofit and global humanitarian work. This one dude was so driven. "Well my senior thesis is about Afghanistan and I'm starting a nonprofit for the yada yada Afghanistan yada and then my goal is the go to law school so I can really get involved in human rights and Afghanistan yada yada..." Geez. Then this other guy piped up, equally as focused on his main interest in life. Then this woman told her story. It seems like at least 3/4 of the class is made up of people who are specialists in something or another and have lofty five year goals towards delving deeper into whatever it is that they are into.

I'm sorry, but I am just not like. Everything interests me and nothing interests me. I suppose I have ADD when it comes to the idea that people need to pick one thing in their lives and become an expert at it. I've always been like this. In my life I've been really into riding horses, soccer, writing, sculpting, painting, drama nonsense, military history, African history, Asian history, the idea of teaching, making a documentary, writing a play, knitting, business, nonprofits, law, graduate school for history, welding and travel writing. Am I particularly great at any of these things? Nope. Did I learn a lot about all this crap? Sure. I will probably never be fantastic at anything, but if you want to talk about salamanders in the Great Smoky Mountains and then switch over to a discussion about knitting hats I may have a thing or two to say.