Who Knew?

Came across this in the Milwaukee "newspaper" about a week ago. Two men, Michael Schnitzka and William Perdzock, were attempting to paddle the Rhine River in record time...in a canoe. Weather was against them, and they called it off part way through the voyage. Turns out that the paper refers to them as one of the best marathon canoeing duos in the world. It also turns out that they each live in a town within 30 minutes driving of my house. Who Knew?

I am often amazed at the previously unknown talents of people I've known or have lived near me. Ordinary folks, so I had thought, with skills, talents and stories I could not have imagined. Like my quiet neighbor, almost shy, who turned out to have a few dozen patents on municipal monitoring devices (for heat, electricity, etc....but I digress). Or the quiet elder I once met who had flown F-105 fighters in Viet Nam. Hell, look at JB and Derrick and I bet you wouldn't guess they are world class Irish Whiskey drinkers.

Then, too, there are ourselves. People meet us, form an impression and go about their business with no idea about what we can do. In fact, I find most people don't seem aware of their own personal wealth of talent. To them, doing what they can do is just doing what they can do. While doing it, they fail to realize their uniqueness in this world.

So, who knew or, for that matter, who knows? Seems it is everyone except the one.

Paddle safe...

DS