After five and a half months of serious deliberation, I finally feel comfortable settling on a New Year's Resolution. From now on, I vow to try to put a stop to my endless search for the thing I am just naturally good at without having to study or practice. Just to personally underscore the need for this resolution, I'm compiling a list of things I once suspected/fantasized I might have some kind of untapped precocious gift for, even though I'm now far too old to be precocious, and my suspicions have unvaryingly turned out to be unfounded. Legendary careers I've so far given up on: tennis player, pianist, rock star, journalist, long-distance runner, violinist, muckraking investigative reporter, documentarian photographer, beloved university professor, Olympic archer (thanks, summer camp), rock stars' personal stylist, museum curator, basketball player, young undeclared entrepreneur, some sort of professional traveler who makes good money in an as-yet-undiscovered way, copy editor, theater set designer, playwright, Olympic swimmer, fashion designer, chemist, archaeologist, astronomer, novelist, the person who creates a chain of vegetarian fast-food restaurants whose popularity sweeps the nation, wacky offbeat interior decorator, travel writer, young bookstore owner, record label owner, music producer, DJ, magazine editor, oceanographer, and drummer. Sometimes I wonder whether modern folks would have more, or less anxiety if they were just expected to follow into their fathers' professions without having to go through the humbling experience of exploring natural (in)aptitudes. Like a 19th century blacksmith, or the current U.S. President, for example.