Better Than the Average Bear

“Master a new skill!” Hello, I haven’t even mastered some of my old skills. But that’s the matchstick suggestion for this week. Maybe I’m making too big a deal about the word “master,” but I don’t think so. When I hear or read “master” in conjunction with someone’s name, it tells me they’re more than average at whatever they’re doing. Yesterday, I renewed my driver’s license. A card will soon arrive in the mail that shows me competent to drive on the nation’s highways and byways until 2027. (If renewing in Texas, you’re required to bring your birth certificate or passport with you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.) Am I a master driver? I’m pretty good. I’ve passed several drivers’ training courses, and had only a couple of tickets in my lifetime. OK, and a few warnings—but being a master driver makes me think of those trained for emergency driving in police and security work. A good driver, yes, but a master driver I’m not. So instead of taking on any new skills, I’m going to work on improving the ones I’ve got.