Here’s a meme I stole from Tosy and Cosh:
First, list writer Robert Heinlein’s examples of the accomplishments that distinguish a [generalist] human from a [specialist] insect. Then identify the ones he has actually done.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
I have taken the list and written explanatory notes.
Change a diaper (Actually a few times B.L. – before Lydia – but a lot more now.)
Plan an invasion (Actually it was a counterinvasion of a house I rented against the mice that tried to take over. I took over a dozen casualties and the rodents retreated.)
Butcher a hog (Well, no.)
Conn a ship (I’ve rowed a canoe, badly.)
Design a building (Only with LEGOs.)
Write a sonnet (Yes. It was terrible.)
Balance accounts (Yes, for student government in college, and for the Schenectady Arts Council.)
Build a wall (LEGOs don’t count, do they?)
Set a bone (I was directed to do a splint, once.)
Comfort the dying (I hope so – my friends Steber and Nancy, and my father.)
Take orders (In the corporate hierarchy.)
Give orders (Committee chair.)
Cooperate (I do play well with others, don’t I?)
Act alone (Does blogging count?)
Solve equations (I was GREAT in algebra and trig, but got lost when I got to calculus.).
Analyze a new problem (Being a reference librarian, happens almost daily. Every time I moved, finding where everything will go.)
Pitch manure (I’ve cleaned cat litter boxes.)
Program a computer (Well, I’ve installed software.)
Cook a tasty meal (Actually, yes – I’ve cooked lasagna, and chicken a number of times, with vegetables or salad. Some other stuff, too.)
Fight efficiently (Yes, once. But generally, I flail around.)
Die gallantly (Sounds like Man of La Mancha- I’ll get back to you on that.)
Oh, yeah, I said I wouldn’t pick on others to do these exercises. I lied. Eddie (who hasn’t posted in two and a half weeks), Nat (who hasn’t posted in one and a half months), and Logan (who has already posted TODAY, but who I wish to confound), come on down!