"Whistlin Dixie"

“Can you believe it??? Some guy was whistling in the post office!!!!!”  “Really?”  I said very excitedly.  “That was definitely invading my space!’ he said. “It was like someone talking on their cell phone!”

I don’t know.  There are lots of sounds that annoy me like jazz and my bathroom exhaust fan. I’m not too crazy about a screaming kid but I’m pretty good at tuning that out since I know it’s not my kid these days!  Crows barking down at me when I’m on my walk irritate me. And someone talking on their cell phone when I am in a restaurant really bothers me.  But whistling? Nope, that doesn’t bother me ever.  I like whistling. I like it a lot!  I think it is amazing that people CAN whistle.  I can’t. I don’t know why.  I just can’t. I ask people how do you whistle and they say, as they purse their lips together,.. “you just do this”  and then they whistle. I purse my lips and try and push some air through but nothing, nada, no musical sounds.  So WHENEVER I hear whistling, I like it. Hell, you can whistle in the library for all I care.  I won’t be shushing you.  I just won’t be joining in. I might hum along with you if you don’t mind. I just can’t whistle.

But I can Hula Hoop.  I know what you’re thinking.  “What does Hula Hooping have to do with whistling?”  Well, not everyone can Hula Hoop and I don’t know why.   I was even a little Hula Hoop champion when I was 4 years old. I can still Hula Hoop for hours and often do it while I’m watching TV. Some people, though, can’t.  I don’t know how that is possible!  You just start swinging the thing around your waist and then move to keep it going!  How can you not be able to Hula Hoop?   Oh.. probably like me not being able to whistle.. huh?

There is great power in knowing our strengths and our weaknesses. We are all not blessed with the same abilities.  Can you imagine if all the Super Heros had the same super powers?  No one would be reading comic books because it wouldn’t be any fun!   But we’re all really good at something and there is always that something that we can’t do. (Superman can’t become invisible.)  Sometimes, it’s ok to admit defeat.  I stopped trying to whistle years ago.  That may be why it never ever bothers me to hear someone make beautiful music by just doing in this… (whatever it is that you whistlers do!)

Try to come up with 5 things you are really good at.  It’s not as easy as you might think.  Then come up with 5 things you’re not so good at.  Way easier. That being said, let’s all try and focus on our strengths. You can whistle while I Hula Hoop.