“Don’t wish to be normal. Wish to be yourself. To the hilt. Find out what you’re best at, and develop it, and hopscotch your weaknesses. Wish to be great at whatever you are.”
― Lois McMaster Bujold, Labyrinth
I have to admit, I have never seen this quote before. This is what it means to me…it is so analogous. Think about it. Just like playing hopscotch, you throw that rock on your weakness and you hop right on over and continue the game. A bit later in the game, you put the rock on another square~skip over a different weakness. If you only focus on the weakness (or the square where the stone is) ~ you get nervous and make a mistake and your turn is over. We cannot let our weaknesses drag us down! Everyone has them, everyone is working on them, but the GAME is the point, not the weakness! Oh, I so remember how much fun I had in the springtime playing that game. Hopscotching your weaknesses sounds so very lovely. I think through what we read and write, we do develop our gifts and talents. We reach out~we connect.
I don’t mean we connect like in playing Red Rover. In that game one person is picked to run at the chain of people and try to break through. I mean like Pom-Pom Pullaway. In that game one person starts out as It and stands in the middle. (S)he calls out pom pom pullaway and everyone runs across the field trying to avoid capture. Each captured person joins the person who was it on the next round. Play continues for as many rounds as it takes until everyone is in the middle. Last one caught is “it” the next round. Back to other springtime games.
It is springtime in the Midwest (but it has been hotter than the hinges of you know where here!) Anyway, when I was growing up in the Midwest, springtime meant playing hopscotch and jacks. I always had my jacks in my pocket, and was always ready to play hopscotch. It was the most fun to play hopscotch with a bunch of other girls. that would entail a lot of square skipping, didn’t it? Do you remember what those things looked like? Aww–take a look, you know you miss it! Wouldn’t it be fun to break out the chalk, rocks, jacks and ball one more time?
Believe Anyway 
Very clever post. Love your concept. Thank you!
Thanks, Kathy~ I had other clever things I was going to include, but as I was writing what I did write, I completely forgot what the other things were! so I just went with what I did manage to get typed.Loved your Betsy~Tacy post
We called the Red Ball game.. ‘Jacks’ in the UK.. and this brought back a few memories.. And loved your post related to Hopscotch.. Great take on it. thank you ..
Wishing you a beautiful Friday.. from Wet UK… ~Sue
Thanks Sue….My girlfriends and I really loved playing jacks…Much easier on my knuckles if i played on a linoleum floor in the house than on the sidewalk outside! But of course, we almost always played outside! You have a great Friday, too. It is Thursday morning as I type this. But I look forward to the weekend, most definitely.
Late afternoon on Thursday here Kate.. 5:30pm .. with a sky that looks like we are going to have another Thunderstorm… Im trying to catch up. lol… trying to juggle work. and Grandchilden is a bit like juggling those ‘Jacks’ lol.. some just manage to slip away LOL.. But my intent is good.. :-). Working too part of the weekend.. so trying to get around a few this evening before I go visit my Daughter.. Hugs to you Kate.. and Oh yes you have posted some really great post lately.. read in email,, but havent always got around to loggin in to comment… but loved them.. Hugs back ~Sue xx
Thanks Sue—been on the go a lot, too…still catching up on comments. commented on your comment from my phone, but for some reason it isn’t here!! hugs and prayers—have a good weekend.
You too Kate… 🙂 … Bless you and all you do! xxx
Wonderful memory filled post! Thanks Kate. I loved hopscotch with my friends and love your concept. I was terrific with a skipping rope and had tons of fun with ‘double dutch’. Have a great day … Renee 🙂
oh I really loved skipping rope—we didn’t do double dutch, but we had a big rope for the playground and lots could jump at once. I have never done double dutch!!
I have to brag Kate. I was GOOD at it too!! I just loved it!! 🙂
Loved the analogy Kate! I will be hopskotching over my weaknesses from here out! 🙂
me tool thanks—glad you liked it.
Of course I LOVE this, Kate!!–and the concept of hopscotch your weaknesses? Another brilliant offering from you!! I may have to print this out, pass it on… God bless you, Sis. Much love, sis Caddo
Much love back. Yeh-i saw the quote and was thinking about all the childhood games of days gone by…glad you liked it! I had other “brilliant” things i was going to say~but by the time i started typing the other stuff, I forgot what those other brilliant things were….
What a great quote. I completely agree with the hopscotch style. All too often the tendency is to focus on weak areas when energy would be more efficiently spent developing areas of strengths. Thanks for sharing.
Kind of like being on a balance beam. they tell you to look straight ahead and not down at the beam. The more you focus on the beam, the more likely the fall. thanks for the comment!
Thank you Kate a great posting as ever. I think that the square could be a mistake and the stone we put on the square to skip over, is the forgiveness. Be it our mistake or someone else’s mistake. Forgiveness and then Focus on the positive in our lives, buy skipping over the rock and leaving it behind. ~Franny
OOOOH Franny~ that is so beautiful and insightful! I really, really like that! Perhaps, then, the reason for coming back over the same numbers coming back to start is a way to reinforce and remember the forgiveness~great idea Franny.
I did enjoy jacks, but . . . could I get back up off the floor if I played it, now? 😀
maybe we could put a cardboard box on the table and play in the box while sitting at the table!!!
Now, wouldn’t THAT make a sight! 😀
it sure would! what fun!
I loved Double Dutch jump roping…and couldn’t get my fill! And I still do play jacks every now and then! By myself…no one else wants to play 🙂 Debra
Do you really? Gosh if you were here I’d play! Now you have inspired me to be on the lookout to buy some jacks!!
Reblogged this on Hodgepodge 4 the Soul and commented:
Oh, so very true!
thanks so much for the reblog!!
Oh, you’re so welcome, Katie! And thank you for posting it in the first place 😀
I have always advocated this and always will; you don’t have to be like everyone else or to do the things they do. Find what you are best at and be the best at it!
We all were made unique. We were not designed to just fit in or conform to patterns, we are dynamic and different. Working on improving at our uniqueness is a much better option than working towards becoming somebody else. Beautiful post!
You are wise, profound, and kind to boot. Thanks so much. You are right~we are each meant to be an original unrepeatable creation.
You are very welcome! I appreciate the kind and strong words with which you’ve just described me. Thanks much! We all ought to develop ourselves further by expressing our uniqueness whenever we find the opportunity. Keep up the good work!
You too 🙂
Thanks much! I’ll do what I can. 🙂
Being different, an individual rather than a follower was always where I felt secure. Tooday I often am looked at differently than someone else my age. Hmm.. I always wonder…
In my jewelery tower today still sits among my rocks and shells my marker I used my entire childhood for hopscotch/ Which we also called escargot.. A amall pice of quartz that I discovered one year with aunt and uncle. I let my granddaughter usei it when she was playing when she was here. Pretty cool. I should photo it and write a memory of it. It’s those littl things that make family stories so different,
Wouldn’t that make a fabulous story….and isn’t it so much fun to ENJOY being unique—knowing that you are delightfully different and not a follow-the-crowd gal. that always has given me such joy….
Love the quote… Do you! 🙂
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