# Talents/abilities you wish you had **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2000, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530 "2000-11-16T23:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/21 "2000-11-17T14:12:58Z")
I can carry a tune, and babies and kids like my voice, but it doesn’t have strength or good tone quality. And, I’d like to have enough self-confidence to get through job interviews without shaking or turning red. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/22 "2000-11-17T16:12:11Z")
Fanciful: Shapechange (into anything I want) Realistic: I’d like to be able to dance. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/23 "2000-11-17T17:26:56Z")
Fantasy - - Being able to breathe water (no need for scuba tanks!) - Flying - Invisibility (for real, not just being alone in a crowd) - Shapechanging (thanks, Balance; forgot about that one) Reality - - Being able to change a diaper (or deal with a gross mess) without retching and vomiting (I don’t have kids, but I have the utmost respect for people who can do this!) - Self-motivation - Clarity of communication (I swear, when I give instructions to someone, they hear gibberish when I speak English) - A talent for drawing, especially caracatures - Being able to voice my opinion in public without feeling like (or made to feel like) a complete dunderhead. - A better singing voice - Ability to learn something difficult without getting so d@mn frustrated - Ability to drive a manual transmission vehicle ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/24 "2000-11-17T17:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homer \* > Do you know about turbos? Do you know how hard it is to find a place to get a turbo around Albany, NY? It’s driving me insane! My dad’s got a Daytona with a blown turbo and I wanted to replace it for him for Christmas/his birthday, and I can NOT find a place to get one. I’ve even called the local Dodge turbo-charged road racing group (yes, there is one) and they couldn’t help me either – they get theirs in Connecticut. I’m pissed. End of hijack. > [@](#): > > I would like to be able to > > play guitar I could teach you ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/25 "2000-11-17T17:42:21Z")
I would like to have a sense of style - the ability to translate the effect I want into the clothes I choose or the decor of my house. I’d also like to be able to paint - to look at something and put it on canvas at a skill level above that of a toddler. and dance… but I mentioned that once before… ---
**Author:** ![jessicala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jessicala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jessicala)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/26 "2000-11-17T19:24:06Z")
I would like to be less easily distracted, especially when I’ve got work to do that I don’t want to do and the Straight Dope is so much more interesting … Teleportation, telekinesis, and the ability to stop/reverse time or add extra hours to the day would be nice too. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/27 "2000-11-17T22:14:15Z")
A prehensile penis. Sua ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/28 "2000-11-17T22:39:13Z")
Well if we are being realistic, I would asolutely want to play any instrument and sing as well as Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Oh, and to speak any language, too. Unrealistic…well that’s an easy one: Superspeed!!! I mean, come on, the [Flash](http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8303/jsa/flash.jpg) has one of the **BEST** all around powers. I would like to be able to turn it on and off like [Johnny Quick](http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/johnny.html), though…otherwise sex would be…well, just not the same. 😃 _**3X2(9YZ)4A**_!!! ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/29 "2000-11-17T22:42:20Z")
The ability to fly. Failing that, the ability to communicate with corn or the ability to calm jittery squirrels. ---
**Author:** ![Occam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Occam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Occam)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/30 "2000-11-17T22:45:27Z")
The ability to tell if someone is lying. Or maybe the ability to have any girl I wanted…or at least one girl I wanted…ok, ok ANY girl. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/31 "2000-11-18T04:36:12Z")
Since I’ve managed to mostly kill two friendly ICQ relationships within the space of a week, I’d do just about anything to know how to flirt ☹ ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530/32 "2000-11-18T04:49:52Z")
I wish I could talk to the animals. Either telepathic or verbally. I’d like to know what they are saying. What do they think about us humans? And other such questions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talents-abilities-you-wish-you-had/41530.md?page=1)