I like to think I'm a reasonably intelligent person that strives to understand the things around my environment. I would say I'm at least competent in most areas I should know and there's lot of random knowledge in my noggin, but of course there's so much out there still that I don't really know about.
Every once in a while, I'm reminded of topics that I haven't quite pick up over the years. I'm not talking about topics that the average person doesn't talk about on a more or less regular basis (i.e. world history, astrology, pink squirrels), but things that a lot of people just seem to know which I've somehow not been able to acquire. For example...
Cars 
Yup, that's a um, red car...and that's a...bigger red car...I know how to drive a car well and I understand the basic mechanics, but ask me anything else about cars and I'll probably won't know the answer. Specifically, I wouldn't be able to tell you a car's make and/or model. Apparently, different companies have distinct looks, but I never notice them. I can tell you the make and model of a tennis racket just by looking at it though! Does that give me some credit?
If you were to ask me to describe a car, I'll probably only be able to say what color it was and whether it was a small car, a truck, or a minivan. Pretty bad huh? I guess I must have missed the car lesson growing up. How did you learn about differences in cars?
Swimming 
Is this a creepy picture of a pool? It looks like it's going to eat me alive!
Okay, this is more a skill than a topic I don't know about, but I picked this because it seems like so many people know how to swim while I just fail at it. I can sort of move myself in water, but I'm rather hopeless with everything else. Is it suppose to be easy to float? Whenever I try, I just sink like a rock (I wonder if my head's too big and heavy -_-). According to my friend, I'm not relaxed enough when I try to float, but how does one relax if they feel like they're about to be engulfed in water?
Don't even get me started on holding my breathe and keeping my eyes open underwater. I've tried, but I can't seem to do it without water getting through my nose or the chlorine stinging me.
For now, just throw me a life vest if I ever fall into a large body of water. I'll just chill until somebody rescue me.
Professional Football, Baseball, and Basketball 
I'm not used to these balls. Where's my fuzzy ones?Say a team name or a famous player and I can probably recognize which sport they belong to. It's another story if you want me to discuss stats or anything else like that. I don't know why, but I never got into those popular sports as much as everyone else. I rarely know when big games are happening until I suddenly see everyone discussing it in their newsfeed.
If it means anything, I do try to follow current sport news so I'm at least aware that something happened (the Yankees won something big recently, right?).
So yes, there are many other topics I would rather you come to me about (i.e. basic technology, exercise techniques, tennis, psychology, pop culture, current events) before I recommend the topics above. If we ever get in a conversation about which type of cars are the best, which swimming techniques are the most effective, or which players really deserved to be MVP I'll probably change the subject quickly to avoid any possible embarrassment due to my ignorance. I promise I'll learn more about them...one of these days.
Comments (123)
omg hahah I cannot swim either. I get so much shit for itttt. >=[
Swimming could prove very helpful at some point, however cars and sports,not so much.
I almost drowned during swimming lessons, so I've been afraid of swimming ever since... : (
how will we ever be able to hold a conversation again????
Well at least you can sort of propel yourself through the water! I just barely mastered floating on my back; I sink the minute I turn over onto my front. My swim instructor said guys sometimes have a harder time learning to float just cuz they tend to have lower percentage of body fat.
I'll teach ya to swim, man. It's an essential survival skill!
car talk is its own language. so confusing.
what the hell happened to your manlihood? no cars, no hot babes at the beach, no sports....?!
Haha, ugh, car talk! :[
But I totally love following basketball and swimming. (: The pool used to look like that during winter back when I was on the year round team. O_o...the air would be freezing but the water would feel good. Until we warmed up; then the water seemed too warm and we'd jump out of the water to cool off...
You pretty much described yourself as someone that's fresh of the boat... which is weird, cause you're born in the US :)
Anyway, I don't know anything about cars. I had to learn when I planned on buying one. That's pretty much it. I'm paying for it and I have to learn what's good out there.
Swimming. I took a 2-month lesson when I was a kid at the YMCA in the Philippines with my cousins. I remember the basics of floating and trying to keep your body afloat. The rest I learned by myself. Nobody wants to be in the pool or the beach just standing there.
Team names. You'll know if you take some interest into the game. That's pretty much it.
@snapeful - Haha well I like sports, prefer to drive a nice car, and I can still lay around the beach. I can um...tell you the proper ways to work out! Does that help?
@sonychak - It is, although I'm getting better at it. Just not there yet.
@phosphor_stars - Oh interesting. Yeah, I can still go in pools, but I'm not gonna go in the deep deep side unless I'm holding on the side.
@secade - I know I know...for now, I'm hoping that I'll just find some log or something to hold on to haha
@just_the_average_jane - Oh yeah? I still think that my head's too big and is pulling me down XP
that's it?! there's only three things that you don't know about?? HMPH!
@stupid_systemus - haha yes, when you described those cars you wanted all I could say was yup, it looks visually nice haha. Yeah, I'm surprise I haven't quite picked up that knowledge over my life. I really should have huh? I don't know...
@shatterFocus - Right, because all we ever talk about are cars, swimming, and sports. Hmm...
@XMechanicalxRainX - As I think back, I think I might have been tramautized at some point. Perhaps that's part of the reason why I'm not so eagar to learn how to swim.
@kidzandK9z - Yes, swimming is on my to do list. I just haven't seriously taken the time out to learn, but I should.
@TheKiwiIntoxication - Same, although people seem to be more understanding than I would have figured.
@CITYG1RL - haha well there's other things I'm sure, just these three topics popped up first in my head.
Haha your post made me laugh. I appreciate your candid honesty in subjects most boys have vast knowledge in.
If you can't float it might be because you have way more muscle than fat. Fat floats, muscle sinks.One marine I know sinks like a stone too while I float like oil on water. He has to paddle like crazy and I just sit on an invisible airbubble.Â@Roadlesstaken - no worries, it is pretty easy!
@Roadlesstaken - My car knowledge only extends to how reliable they are, looks and do I see myself driving in one. As for tweaking the engine and other "ricer" activities, count me out. In the end, I don't really know much about cars, so you're not alone. :)
i can float for...a little bit. lol.
cars...i only semi-know about Hondas and other Japanese cars and that's it.
sports...well i'm a girly girl. i don't know. i do watch tennis, though! [high-five]
Haha I know nothing about sports or cars either xD
I learned how to swim in this huge hot tub.. haha. I learned how to swim backwards first though. Plus I can't float either lol.Â@Roadlesstaken - tennis is an asian sport... and if you are driving a crappily modded car but looks BEAUTIFUL on the outside, you gotta know! lol okay at least you work out!
@Un_filtered - I wish I could just float like that. It look so...relaxing.
@stupid_systemus - That's good to hear
@elelkewljay - [high-fives] you get even more bonus points from me
@jhesyka - a huge hot tub?? Must have been pretty big to learn hot to swim in one haha
@snapeful - Is it? I figure ping pong and badminton were more Asian.
I find swimming a lot easier than floating on my back, and I'm pretty sure my swimming instructor gave up on teaching me how. Floating on my stomach's not a problem, but it might be if I fell overboard in the middle of an ocean or something. =p The other two--hey, if you're not interested then don't push yourself. They're just hobbies for most.Â
@Roadlesstaken - haha yeah, the trio of asian sports :) ping pong, badminton, and tennis. you can't count chess or programming as them though, unfortunately.
@snapeful - oh random fact; did you know my college is known to have one of the best chess teams in the country? They regularly make it to the chess version of The Final Four. I do not know how to play chess really, btw.
@xiaosnowtenshi - Wouldn't floating on your stomach mean your face is in the water too?
aww that's ok, it's not like it's super duper important
do you know how to shoot pool or snooker?? bowling??