What are you an expert in?

[GailV]

24 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

I started on my mom’s old Elna but have a Janome Pro now. It’s great for bags and thick wovens/leather but the lack of free arm and chewing up the fabric at the start is a serious turnoff. I would like to add a serger and cover lock but fear the learning curve/threading. Sigh. Time to put on my big girl undies.

I have a serger but no coverstitch, and am able to make a decent swim suit, leotard, or simple tshirt/turtleneck. Heck, you can actually do those things without a serger, just a regular sewing machine.  When I taught sewing to kids years ago we did our jammy pants in knit because I didn't want them to fear knits, plus that way we didn't have to finish the raw edges.

Anyway, my vote is if you have to choose, choose the serger first. Once you figure it out you can add the coverstitch.

Which reminds me, another expertise I have is in making just about every mistake possible in garment sewing.  I was able to calmly teach kids because there were few things they could goof up that I hadn't done myself at some point. I also knew several viable ways to accomplish most things, and let them choose what they were comfortable with (I once co-taught with a person who thought there was only One Correct Way to do things like cut open a buttonhole). 

[Junie]

So I'm going to define expert as being able to ace the category on Jeopardy.  I am not necessarily to the level of being invited to be on a panel on CNN.

I think the point of the thread is to make a list of things that we're good at or that we know more about than the average person.  It's been really interesting to see what other people are good at!

Here is my list of things I know a lot about:

English grammar

Noonan Syndrome

children's literature

American Girl dolls

Pennsylvania Dutch culture

the Bible

 

 

 

[Melissa Louise]

Going by Junie's definition, the one thing I'm an expert in is soothing the parents of my tutoring kids. They are nearly always v stressed and anxious and needing to share their worries, and I am v good at listening, empathising and reassuring. To the point I sometimes think I should be charging extra for the counselling bit, lol.

[Guest]

Going relative…Harry Potter and the wizarding world. I seriously doubt there are many people who have read, re-read and dissected the entire story arc and individual story arcs and characters and thematic information as heavily as I have. I have written fanfic of Harry Potter that I actually love (scenes, not comprehensive stories) and I have read tons of “canon” information and books about literary analysis of the stories. Even my cell phone ring has been Hedwig’s theme for at least eight or ten years. 

[Slache]

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder and C-PTSD.

Planning.

[Tanaqui]

Obligatory Sarah's Scribbles: https://www.gocomics.com/sarahs-scribbles/2021/11/03

[Tanaqui]

Quite seriously, my mother used to call me up every day with random trivia questions, and when I finally asked her why she did that she told me she was on a quest to prove to her coworkers that I know everything.

They probably just thought I spent a lot of time near a computer and could google stuff, and anyway, she cheats - she only asks things I'm likely to know!

But I do know a lot of little facts about things. It's good to have something to occupy your mind.

[Jaybee]

3 hours ago, Jaybee said:

I'm more of a generalist, I suppose. I know weird random facts about lots of unexpected things, but it's neither the kind that helps in trivia games nor is it deep enough to be respected. So...I'm an expert generalist?🤷‍♀️😁

Quoting myself to add that I am very good at researching things on the internet. I have helped my kids find random information on things needed for research projects so many times. It's like I instinctively know what to put in search lines, so it doesn't usually take me very long to find what I'm looking for. I am also quite good at editing--my mind just automatically corrects/rearranges things, but I've only done that in a more casual way, never as a career or anything.

ETA: And I am very good at organizing information (but not so good at organizing my cabinets).

Edited November 5, 2021 by Jaybee

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Exhaustion.

stress.

Tudor history.

Hary Potter.

I have degrees in philosophy and creative writing but I’ve forgotten more than I leaned.

Nothing very valuable lol. 

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, GailV said:

Which reminds me, another expertise I have is in making just about every mistake possible in garment sewing.

I worked for a seamstress one summer that talks about how she learned by the "rip and cry" method of sewing.

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Junie said:

Pennsylvania Dutch culture

That's fun!

[math teacher]

I consider myself very good at cooking. I can cook things from my Southern roots or follow a recipe and cook anything I want with the exception of pie crusts. I do think if I practiced enough, I could master them too.

[Junie]

15 minutes ago, kbutton said:

That's fun!

It's where I grew up!  (I grew up one county west of Lancaster.)

A few years ago I discovered that my step-father's grandparents had been Mennonite.  And this year I discovered that my mom has Mennonite roots.

I didn't actually know that I knew anything about Pennsylvania Dutch culture -- until I moved away and realized that most people don't know much about it at all.

I imagine most people here would be able to give a short history lesson on their area -- that they have knowledge that most of the rest of us lack.

[TheReader]

2 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

Going by Junie's definition, the one thing I'm an expert in is soothing the parents of my tutoring kids. They are nearly always v stressed and anxious and needing to share their worries, and I am v good at listening, empathising and reassuring. To the point I sometimes think I should be charging extra for the counselling bit, lol.

oh, me too! 

I worked with a little boy this summer who was non-verbal/not yet verbal. I had no clue, no expertise whatsoever, in working with a kid with that level of ability. I explained this, in detail, to his mom. But I met him, and he liked me. And she was stunned. And so she kept having me come, clueless as I was, because we were able to connect. 

And then in my regular job, teaching K-2nd at the homeschool co-op/hybrid place, I'm on speed dial for a few of the parents as they navigate teaching their first kid, and are they doing it right, and am I sure they're not messing up, etc.  And so they keep calling/texting, and one of my friends who knows all of this said it's because my giftedness is in connection/making connections. 

Luckily I adore this job, so it's all good. (well, and my degree is actually in Christian Counseling/Counseling Ministries, so this makes sense...). 

[guilfordlake]

Content marketing & strategy

On-page SEO

Personal development & business books

Blogging

Online marketing 

But as someone else said, that’s in comparison to the general population. Compared to “real” experts, not so much.

ETA: gosh darn, I feel pretty good about myself right now. Thanks for asking this question OP 😄

Edited November 6, 2021 by guilfordlake

[SeaConquest]

I'm not an expert at anything, but I would have cleaned up on Name That Tune if I'd been born a few years earlier. Naming songs in a few notes is my superpower.  

[Melissa in Australia]

5 hours ago, MissLemon said:

I have a surprising amount of knowledge regarding early 20th century kitchens and traditional "women's work" of that era. 

Be glad you never had to care for a cast iron stove! 

Ohh. I have  a cast iron wood stove. 

What care am I meant to do?

All I do is sweep out the ovens and the stovetop once a month. And clean out the soot slot and ash tray every 2 months or so

[AmandaVT]

Special education evaluations

Minecraft

K-8 math instruction

 

[Melissa in Australia]

5 hours ago, TCB said:

I’m not an expert but I like to discuss robotics all day. Not everyone around me feels that way, but fortunately my dd’s fiancé is robotics obsessed also, so I can always count on him for a good discussion about it.

You would get on with my oldest son. He is a research scientist doing a PhD on artificial intelligence and robotics

[Melissa in Australia]

I am not an expert in anything. But I am proficient in many many areas

Including just about any skill that women were meant to be able to do 100 years ago. From making the family clothes, growing all the family food, preserving the food,  raising and butchering animals for food. Hand milking a cow Etc 

Working with highly complex needs traumatised children

 

[BeachGal]

I have semi-gutted multiple homes we bought over the years and as a result, remodeling has become an area of expertise for me. I now actually love it and take on all kinds of crazy projects much to my husband's horror. 😄

[frogger]

So while watching the bagger in horror today and starting to bag my own groceries as fast as I could so she wouldn't have a chance to get to more, I realized I could be an expert bagger. I would need no training to get into it professionally. In fact I would love to hold classes and teach others how to properly bag groceries. 🤣

I realize you said "could talk about all day." and creating meals out of nothing and bagging groceries are not things I would actually talk about all day. I have zero expertise but love to talk economics, literature, history, Bible, ecology, and Alaskan history. But if I talked to anyone actually knowledgeable about these things I would probably bore them. 

I am good at picturing spaces in my head and have done remodels. Not just color and such but moving stairs, and doors, and creating nooks, etc. I don't know if I'm knowledgeable or just good at it. 

 

[BeachGal]

13 minutes ago, frogger said:

So while watching the bagger in horror today and starting to bag my own groceries as fast as I could so she wouldn't have a chance to get to more, I realized I could be an expert bagger. I would need no training to get into it professionally. In fact I would love to hold classes and teach others how to properly bag groceries. 🤣

I am exactly the same way. Bagging is actually real-life Tetris and since I am paying for the groceries, then that gets to be my game at the store. 

[El...]

I like you people! You're interesting, even those of you who won't admit expertise. And this is a great question, OP. I think I should ask acquaintances this question, though maybe it would be hard to respond on the spot.

I really like martial arts and have been practicing several Japanese styles for almost 25 years. I like to compare and contrast them.  I'm a devotee, not an expert, but I could talk too long about that!

[GracieJane]

33 minutes ago, frogger said:

So while watching the bagger in horror today and starting to bag my own groceries as fast as I could so she wouldn't have a chance to get to more, I realized I could be an expert bagger. I would need no training to get into it professionally. In fact I would love to hold classes and teach others how to properly bag groceries. 🤣

I realize you said "could talk about all day." and creating meals out of nothing and bagging groceries are not things I would actually talk about all day. I have zero expertise but love to talk economics, literature, history, Bible, ecology, and Alaskan history. But if I talked to anyone actually knowledgeable about these things I would probably bore them. 

I am good at picturing spaces in my head and have done remodels. Not just color and such but moving stairs, and doors, and creating nooks, etc. I don't know if I'm knowledgeable or just good at it. 

 

I wonder if your ability to bag well and envision space layouts is actually related! I‘ve noticed people who can pack trunks really well are also very good at parallel parking.

[frogger]

5 minutes ago, GracieJane said:

I wonder if your ability to bag well and envision space layouts is actually related! I‘ve noticed people who can pack trunks really well are also very good at parallel parking.

Well, I am good at packing for backpacking trips and have parallel parked an Excursion in Banff which is a touristy place and mostly has compact spots. So maybe that is true. 

 

Now I'm wondering if I should return this stuff that was smashed and ripped open. Argh

[MercyA]

I know the most about:

Finding things on the Internet

Pro-life stuff

The New Testament

OCD, alas

I am more knowledgeable than most about:

Toys and dolls, 1970's onward

Food dyes and preservatives and their effects on behavior

Some areas of animal behavior (using tools, helping other species, etc.)

Edited November 6, 2021 by MercyA

[MercyA]

@Indigo Blue and @Pawz4me, I think my DD13 shares your talent for communicating with animals. I have never seen someone who can go up to just about any animal and converse with them like she does!

A month or two ago, we were at the zoo and there was some type of hornbill carrying around a dead mouse. My DD started cooing, "Oh, what a nice mouse! Good job!" and that bird started showing off to her like you wouldn't believe. Throwing the mouse down, picking it up, and looking at her, over and over. It was the same at the chicken exhibit. She praised a rooster for how handsome he was and he started crowing at her and wouldn't stop. Another chicken wouldn't stop following her as she went back and forth in front of their enclosure. The parrots at the zoo get jealous if she praises one more than another. The goats know her and she is able to pet some animals (llamas and a cow) who usually stay back from people.

I'm super proud of her. 🙂 

[Scarlett]

12 hours ago, elroisees said:

I like you people! You're interesting, even those of you who won't admit expertise. And this is a great question, OP. I think I should ask acquaintances this question, though maybe it would be hard to respond on the spot.

I really like martial arts and have been practicing several Japanese styles for almost 25 years. I like to compare and contrast them.  I'm a devotee, not an expert, but I could talk too long about that!

We are an extremely diverse and interesting group.  I have learned so much about so many topics over the years.  Including how to get along with diverse people! 

[mom31257]

I'm with the others of not being a true expert, but math since I have a degree in it. I haven't taught above Alg 2 in years, so I wouldn't feel confident above that without some study. I LOVE math test prep and could do problems all day. I particularly love graphing functions. 

I love studying the bible, too, but I'm definitely not an expert. 

I love the LOTR movies and could watch them and talk about them all day. 

 

 

[WildflowerMom]

Frasier Crane 

that’s the extent of my expertise.  🤷🏻‍♀️

[GailV]

15 hours ago, GracieJane said:

I wonder if your ability to bag well and envision space layouts is actually related! I‘ve noticed people who can pack trunks really well are also very good at parallel parking.

Dh sometimes says I should've gone into Packaging Engineering because I can repackage pretty much any product to take it back to a store.  I also love to bag my own groceries; and one thing I really like about sewing is taking something from 2D to 3D.

I absolutely suck at parallel parking. Heck, I usually choose pull-through spots in a parking lot. But that's partially because I'm too short to actually see out of the car well enough to have more than a vague sense of where the bumpers are.

[TheReader]

17 hours ago, frogger said:

So while watching the bagger in horror today and starting to bag my own groceries as fast as I could so she wouldn't have a chance to get to more, I realized I could be an expert bagger. I would need no training to get into it professionally. In fact I would love to hold classes and teach others how to properly bag groceries. 🤣

I realize you said "could talk about all day." and creating meals out of nothing and bagging groceries are not things I would actually talk about all day. I have zero expertise but love to talk economics, literature, history, Bible, ecology, and Alaskan history. But if I talked to anyone actually knowledgeable about these things I would probably bore them. 

I am good at picturing spaces in my head and have done remodels. Not just color and such but moving stairs, and doors, and creating nooks, etc. I don't know if I'm knowledgeable or just good at it. 

 

 

17 hours ago, BeachGal said:

I am exactly the same way. Bagging is actually real-life Tetris and since I am paying for the groceries, then that gets to be my game at the store. 

Oh, gosh yes on the bagging. I choose my line at the grocery store based on the grocery bagger who's working that lane. 

If I could get over everything else about Aldi's, I'd love to shop there so I can bag my own. alas, I cannot, so I am stuck watching untrained baggers do a terrible job. The worst is when they are bad, *and* slow. Oof. 

And I can also picture spaces in my head and such and see what they could become. But I cannot really parallel park or anything, so....? 

[Hyacinth]

Resume writing (which also requires Word formatting superpowers)

Spelling (which is NOT the same thing as typing correctly) 😉

Late 70s pop music (more of a “you want me on your trivia team” than a true expert)

[MooCow]

On 11/5/2021 at 3:25 PM, KatieinMich said:

I am very aware of the gaps in my knowledge …so therefore I am not an expert seamstress, but I can sew your kids wardrobe! 

I can sometimes tighten a loose button lol. I'm always amazed by those that can sew! 

[MooCow]

On 11/5/2021 at 5:11 PM, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

 

Tudor history.

Whoop whoop! Another Tudor in the house!! 

[goldberry]

I don't have any expert areas, but areas I am intensely curious about and therefore know quite a bit about.

Psychology - Why people act the way they do and how thinking-emotions-processing work (or don't work!)

Medicine/health - For a person who is not a doctor or healthcare professional, I know an inordinate amount about medical issues and viruses.  

Lord of the Rings - only because I have read it SO MANY times it's now part of my brain!

Quickbooks - Not curious about, but expert because of my job - 20+ years!  I can do literally anything anyone could ever ask of me in Quickbooks.

Edited November 7, 2021 by goldberry

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I'm not really an expert in anything, but I could hold a multiple-hours long conversation about any of the following (an eclectic mix):

- Montessori education

- accelerated learning/homeschooling 

- Formula One

- K-Pop

- chickens 

[bookbard]

On 11/7/2021 at 6:38 AM, TheReader said:

I choose my line at the grocery store based on the grocery bagger who's working that lane. 

Question - we don't have grocery baggers in Australia, the check out person does it or we do it (if Aldis). Is that a proper paid job?

[KSera]

35 minutes ago, bookbard said:

Question - we don't have grocery baggers in Australia, the check out person does it or we do it (if Aldis). Is that a proper paid job?

Yes, it’s a fairly common first job for young people. Usually starts at minimum wage, which is actually not bad pay for a teen in many parts of the country. Sometimes the checker will do it, but it’s pretty standard for there to be a separate person doing the bagging. Ever since reading here that some places the customer does it themself, I always wonder if I should help when there is no bagger, but it always seems to me it would be really awkward if I started bagging. I feel like I would be taking someone’s job from them. 

[TheReader]

2 hours ago, bookbard said:

Question - we don't have grocery baggers in Australia, the check out person does it or we do it (if Aldis). Is that a proper paid job?

Some places hire folks to be the separate grocery bagger, some places hire folks to be cashiers/baggers (and they float between jobs/duties as needed).  Then again, some places are going to more and more of a "self check" system, where they have one employee watching over several lines at a time, and the customer scans & bags their own groceries.

 

[GracieJane]

4 hours ago, goldberry said:

I don't have any expert areas, but areas I am intensely curious about and therefore know quite a bit about.

Psychology - Why people act the way they do and how thinking-emotions-processing work (or don't work!)

Medicine/health - For a person who is not a doctor or healthcare professional, I know an inordinate amount about medical issues and viruses.  

Lord of the Rings - only because I have read it SO MANY times it's now part of my brain!

Quickbooks - Not curious about, but expert because of my job - 20+ years!  I can do literally anything anyone could ever ask of me in Quickbooks.

You have invaluable skill! At my old office we were constantly looking for people who were proficient in QB and there are basically none. Except you! 🙂

[bookbard]

1 hour ago, TheReader said:

Then again, some places are going to more and more of a "self check" system, where they have one employee watching over several lines at a time, and the customer scans & bags their own groceries.

Yeah that's happening in our two main grocery chains, with Aldis the outlier. The fourth grocery chain I know of, IGA, is really small so only has one check-out, at least where I live. 

[madteaparty]

Not a damn thing.

[Tanaqui]

Quote

I feel like I would be taking someone’s job from them. 

 

If their job is to scan the items and take your money and give you your change, I don't see how doing the bagging is taking their job.

[KSera]

2 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

 

If their job is to scan the items and take your money and give you your change, I don't see how doing the bagging is taking their job.

I don’t mean that in some big, principled way, just that it feels awkward like that. Like it would be weird or a statement that I thought they weren’t capable. When I was working retail, I always did the bagging when I cashiered, so to me, that’s part of the job. I never had a customer start doing it themself. I’m sure it varies by area. It might be that cashiers would really appreciate it. I was just saying it feels too awkward to me to jump over and start doing it. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

I don’t mean that in some big, principled way, just that it feels awkward like that. Like it would be weird or a statement that I thought they weren’t capable. When I was working retail, I always did the bagging when I cashiered, so to me, that’s part of the job. I never had a customer start doing it themself. I’m sure it varies by area. It might be that cashiers would really appreciate it. I was just saying it feels too awkward to me to jump over and start doing it. 

You don’t have to jump over anything. Two days ago I noticed that my cashier was wincing when bagging my groceries. I immediately reached over and started to do it instead, while asking about her wrist, which was injured. It wasn’t hard. It helped her for one brief moment though I am sure that 99% of the shift she had to do it herself. She thanked me then and yet again when she saw me again. Today her wrist was in a brace. 

[Jenny in Florida]

On 11/6/2021 at 4:35 PM, Hyacinth said:

Resume writing (which also requires Word formatting superpowers)

Oh, I didn't think of Word wrangling when I answered. I'm old and have been using Word for . . . well, forever, from long before I had a mouse and WYSIWYG displays on the monitor. I am frequently surprised at how the younger people I work with -- who are presumed to be more technologically capable because of their "digital native" status -- just don't know how to make Word bend to their will in the same way.

[Dmmetler]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:46 PM, MercyA said:

@Indigo Blue and @Pawz4me, I think my DD13 shares your talent for communicating with animals. I have never seen someone who can go up to just about any animal and converse with them like she does!

A month or two ago, we were at the zoo and there was some type of hornbill carrying around a dead mouse. My DD started cooing, "Oh, what a nice mouse! Good job!" and that bird started showing off to her like you wouldn't believe. Throwing the mouse down, picking it up, and looking at her, over and over. It was the same at the chicken exhibit. She praised a rooster for how handsome he was and he started crowing at her and wouldn't stop. Another chicken wouldn't stop following her as she went back and forth in front of their enclosure. The parrots at the zoo get jealous if she praises one more than another. The goats know her and she is able to pet some animals (llamas and a cow) who usually stay back from people.

I'm super proud of her. 🙂 

One of L's long time mentors is a woman who ended up leaving her PhD program in Herpetology because of RA issues. She now is the photographer for the Nashville Zoo, and is absolutely amazing-when we're in the field with her, the other people wI'll bring wild animals to her, and I swear they not only stay put long enough to be photographed, but actively pose. There is nothing like seeing a rattlesnake,or a bird, or a small mammal just sit there, completely calm. She's amazing. 

 

 

[aggie96]

On 11/5/2021 at 3:16 PM, ikslo said:

Formatting Word documents.  It’s my superpower.  I actually enjoy it.  I could format Word documents for 8 hours a day and not get bored.

I can’t look at a Word document now without the paragraph marks turned on, though.  Sometimes I clean up other people’s documents just so I can read them, LOL.  Okay so maybe more OCD than a superpower.  But people in my company do send me documents all the time and say, “why is it doing this and how do I fix it?”

I am the exact.same.way. LOVE formatting Word docs. Also love making Excel spreadsheets. I have spreadsheets for everything. 🙂

My kids are forced to use Google Docs for all their work in school. I desperately wish this program had the paragraph marks. I am constantly correcting extra spaces. Grrrr.