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Are there any skills you wish you could have acquired?

(118 Posts)
Shropshirelass Fri 12-Mar-21 09:07:53

To play the piano or keyboard. I might just buy myself one and teach myself a few riffs!

Witzend Fri 12-Mar-21 09:05:43

To play the piano well.
I took it up again after retirement (after many decades and from a very low base anyway) but although I’ve made a lot of progress, it’s disheartening how much harder it is when you’re getting on a bit. I can slog away at the same piece for ages and it still won’t ‘click’.

As a child I envied friends who had ballroom dancing lessons - I’d still love to be able to do a passable foxtrot. Not much use going to classes with dh though - bless him but he has no sense of rhythm.

ninathenana Fri 12-Mar-21 09:05:13

Just to be able to sing in tune would be great.
I also would love to paint

Sarnia Fri 12-Mar-21 08:57:19

I would love to play a musical instrument, possibly the piano. I have friends who learnt to play as children and they have had such pleasure from it all their lives. In fact this discussion has prodded me into looking for a piano teacher. I have a piano, for goodness sake, all I do at the moment is dust it.

Maggiemaybe Fri 12-Mar-21 08:48:17

I’ve picked up and dropped so many things over the years, as witness my vast collection of sporting equipment, craft stuff, paints and musical instruments gathering dust all over the house. And somewhere, the 19 untouched modules of the 20 module creative writing course. I’ve got massive enthusiasm and to spare for new ideas, but no staying power whatsoever. I saw that wary look on DH’s face the other day when we were watching The Repair Shop and I was saying how I’d love to be able to restore things.....

Top of the list, I’d really like to be able to play that guitar or violin - maybe I’ll book some proper lessons when this is all over. Or maybe I’ll buy some upholstering tools instead and give it a go.wink

Nannarose Fri 12-Mar-21 08:45:38

I am enjoying reading this, partly because I take for granted a few of the skills mentioned.
My biggest wish is that I could sing or play - I love music, but have never been able to carry a tune.
Trisha57 - I was interested in your post. My mother was an amateur sewer, and taught me and I| loved it.
Although her singing and fiddle playing were amateur as well, they were to a high standard. Whereas she encouraged my sewing, and sewed alongside me; she was constantly critical of my attempts to sing or play.
I think sometimes people who are very good at something actually have difficulty in teaching it, because they can't understand how hard it can be.
Anyway, I am glad you enjoy sewing now Trisha57!

DanniRae Fri 12-Mar-21 08:28:22

I would love to play the piano - speak a foreign language - be a confident driver - be a confident passenger (especially on motorways)
That will do for now! smile

Sara1954 Thu 11-Mar-21 19:11:31

Oh my goodness, where to begin?
I’d love be able to play the piano, some family members were very gifted, but my lessons seemed like torture, wish I’d preserved though!

I’d love to be able to sew.

As a child I always wanted to learn tap dancing, but never did.

I can’t swim, so envious of my husband and children on holidays, and now I wish I could take my grandchildren. I had one to one adult lessons for about two years, but still can’t swim.

I would love to be fluent in another language, our school didn’t teach languages. Again , I had some adult lessons, and learned just about enough to get by, but am a million miles away from being fluent.

I could go on, but it’s quite depressing to think about all the things I’ll never be able to do.

Foxglove77 Thu 11-Mar-21 18:31:55

I'd love to be able to play a musical instrument properly. To sit down at a piano and play a tune or strum a guitar would be great. I had flute lessons at school, but my attempts were painful.

Casdon Thu 11-Mar-21 18:24:55

I’d love to have woodworking skills so I could do repairs and make simple items like planters for the garden. I too was hopeless at needlework classes, I had no interest whatsoever. I’m trying to learn the basics online now, there are a few good demos on YouTube, I want to start by replacing the wooden sides of some steps up a bank in my garden - fingers crossed. .

NotAGran55 Thu 11-Mar-21 18:18:46

I would have like to have learned to type . It wasn’t taught in my school and for many years we had typing pools and administrators to do it for us in the offices where I worked.

Grandmabatty Thu 11-Mar-21 18:13:49

I would have loved to be able to play the piano. I can play guitar but never had the opportunity to play piano.

Jane43 Thu 11-Mar-21 18:05:18

I wish I’d learnt how to swim properly.

Trisha57 Thu 11-Mar-21 18:03:43

Like you I was thrown out of sewing classes at school. I just hated them. My mum was a trained Court dressmaker and tried to teach me but I wasn't really interested. Strangely enough, I am now sewing for my grandchildren and loving it! The skill I wish I had acquired is playing the piano or any musical instrument really well. I mastered the recorder at primary school but nothing since then........

Knittynatter Thu 11-Mar-21 18:00:40

Sing. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket but I do enjoy singing!!

Calendargirl Thu 11-Mar-21 17:59:16

I wish I could sew, knit, play a musical instrument, ski, ice skate, paint, sing, speak a foreign language fluently, .....

But I can’t.

tanith Thu 11-Mar-21 17:57:13

I'd of loved to of learnt to scuba dive always wanted to do that in a warm ocean.

songstress60 Thu 11-Mar-21 17:17:35

I never learned to sew or knit! I can sew a button on or repair, but in classes at school I was regularly thrown out of the sewing classes by the teachers. They would not get away with that now! I suffered from anxiety all my life and because I could not take things in the teacher would remove me from the class stating I was unteachable! Consequently I cannot use a sewing machine or knit. I can draw and craft. I design cards but I have NEVER used a sewing machine. Are they any skills the gransnet readers wish they had learned?