Expertise

I've been reading Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, and I've been pondering the much-talked-about notion that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something.

This pretty much makes me an expert at sleeping.

I'm troubled by that realization.

Schooling, well maybe, but I honestly am not sure that I've logged 10,000 hours teaching my kids. And homeschooling is not like being a 2nd grade teacher, where you teach the same age group the same topics from year to year. That gives you a chance to become a real expert. When you homeschool, your kids have this nasty habit of growing and changing and needing to learn new things. It keeps you on your toes, but you don't become an expert. You're always a rookie.

Parenting? No. I don't believe in such things as The Loch Ness Monster, The Yeti, The Tooth Fairy or Parenting Experts. Maybe they're out there, but I've never seen one and I won't believe it until I do.

Now, I guess I'm an expert on my kids, but again, that whole growing and changing thing is a fly in the ointment.

I could be considered an expert student. I was one of those geeks who loved school. Grammar school, high school, college (most of college, some I hated), and medical school. I really loved medical school. I'm a good student. I'm an expert student, in reality. That and $4.75 will get me a Non-fat Grande Mocha Cha Cha at Starbucks.

Don't go ordering a Cha Cha, though, because they'll look at you funny. I made that up, because I don't actually go to Starbucks, but I liked the image.

I bailed on ob/gyn residency when I laid eyes on my beautiful boy. So, not a medical expert on anything.

Which brings me back to sleeping and being a student.

So then the next question is do I even want to be an expert at anything? Is it worth 10,000 hours to master something so completely? Or is my time better spent doing the daily tasks in front of me the best that I can? Or is there some organic blend of the two? I like an organic blend.

I'm about to turn 43. My oldest is 11 and I'm starting to wonder what my next life is going to look like. What will I do with myself when my kids get a life without me (and how dare they, by the way)? Could I be an expert at something?

Not quite a midlife crisis. Midlife uneasiness? Midlife apprehension?

I promise not to try to become a parenting expert and then sell a book called How to Make the Neighbors Envy Your Children in 8 Easy Steps.

Solemnly.

But I could write one called How to Learn from My Many Parenting Mistakes. There's a lot of material there.

What about you? Are you an expert at something? Would you like to be?