8 february 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2641: he took pride in…
I have a friend, Randy, who takes pride in things that, frankly, have no practical use in everyday life. He can imitate the horns of everything from diesel trucks to old Vespas. He can also open bottles with almost anything around him—a spoon, a key, even a folded piece of thick paper.
“I’m the complete package,” he says with a confident smile.
One day, we were eating at a street food stall, and a little kid dropped his spoon. Before anyone could react, Randy snapped his fingers and retrieved it from under the table… with his foot.
I frowned. “You’ve been practicing this?”
“Since you were a kid,” he says proudly.
The thing is, Randy’s pride in these talents isn’t just for fun. He actually sees them as a competitive advantage in life. “In this competitive world,” he once said, “you have to have unique skills.”
I doubt that imitating a car alarm is a unique skill that companies are looking for, but I don’t want to dampen his spirits.
Still, I have to admit, there’s something delightful about the way he sees the world. While most people are busy pursuing “serious” accomplishments, Randy finds pride in the small and odd. And maybe that’s what makes him so happy all the time, because he doesn’t need validation from anyone to feel great.