Not very impressive, are they?
They look like cranberries. There is nothing special about those rocks in their raw form. But polished, they are made to form the most wondrous of jewels.
Sort of like human beings, or no? Are some, or most, of us rather unimpressive in our raw (genetic) form, but it is only after being polished by the winds and sands of our life experiences, that we may truly shine on like the crazy diamonds e strive to be in our most far-leaping dreams.
For instance, it is true that I have an IQ of 147. But say I had sat on my ass my whole life and hardly read a book or a newspaper or watched a news show on TV or listened to radio news. Suppose I had never looked up anything educational or informative on the Internet. My head might conceivably be as empty-headed as many of the 18-20 year old’s that I run across. Many readers have commended me on my knowledge and writing style. But those things are not a direct result of a 147 IQ. A 147 IQ and $1.99 will get you a Slurpee at a 7-11 and not much else.
I have spent most of my life dedicating myself to gathering as much knowledge as I could. Furthermore, not content to fill up my mind with facts, I tried to postulate the best theories possible about just about any data that I came across, including human psychology, the behavior of those I know, etc. In many cases, it was very hard to figure out what was actually going on with any given set of data, so I have spent a very long time tangling with this theory or that to try to explain all sorts of data sets from the daily news to my own mind to the birds in my backyard.
I was not a born writer. Instead, I have dedicated much of my life to the craft, and I have read an incredible amount. I am always trying to be a better writer and a better thinker, and I never think I am good enough. So I am always kicking myself in the ass trying to go better. It makes you pretty neurotic, but perfectionism was also a hallmark of many of the world’s greatest creative artists.
Life gives you raw rubies in the form of dull rocks, if you are lucky. It is up to you to make them shine, and it’s a lot of hard work. God gave you a rock; you made it into a shining gem.
