That's how Sweetheart opens a conversation with someone he has just met--sometimes. The person to whom he is speaking usually gives a nervous laugh and denies being famous for anything.
What he really wants to know is, "What are you good at?" or "What do your friends know you for?" Rather than start a superficial conversation, he wants to bring out the best in the person. Or, maybe, he just wants to be funny.
He usually starts the ball rolling by saying, "I'm famous for winning a game of solitaire with 51 cards. Then I played another game and won it."
I don't know if he knew at the time that he was playing with an incomplete deck. I found the four of hearts on the floor under the table the next time I swept.
Sweetheart is noted for more than winning a couple games of solitaire. Our friends know him as a person who makes people laugh.
Sometimes he makes the new acquaintance think. They usually come up with something. For instance the person might say they like to bake cookies. There's a woman who comes to the senior center in town who bakes special cookies for every event the center has. They are delicious. People look forward to her bringing some.
Some people like to fish. Others are very family oriented and like to spend time with their family. They like to babysit their grandchildren and other people's children and grandchildren.
Some people are artists. So others know whom to ask for special needs for special occasions. You don't need to be famous to have a talent.
I wonder, sometimes, about people who commit crimes--murder, rape, theft, domestic abuse, pornography. What gift or talent are they giving up so they can concentrate on evil? Can the two actions co-exist? Are these people missing their calling?
The key is for a person to know what his/her special gifts and talents are and to use them. Chances are that using them, once you have dug deep enough to discover them, is the very reason why you are here. Perhaps, you should do a little digging. And hurry, before you start down the path of crime.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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