You're probably an expert at something, but what are you an amateur of - and proud?

I know a ton about guitar, but I’ve never “seriously” studied it.

I’ve studied World War One extensively, but I don’t have a “WWI certification” and I’ve also studied Sufism but I’m definitely not a Sufi master.

I’m am really good marksman, but I’ve only competed in one or two riflery competitions.

Graphic design. See?!

I’m getting there though.

I am a self-proclaimed cat whisperer. I also know a lot about Celtic/Welsh mythology. Actually, I know a lot about many mythologies. Stories of gods and mythical creatures have always fascinated me.

I am an amateur student of Victorian culture and literature.

Respectively:
1.) I’m an amateur at billiards and proud of it. You never want to get too good at that. Nothing is boring quite like being great with a cue in a bar.
2.) I know quite a bit about movies but never formally studied the subject. I learned “by ear”.
3.) I studied for a pilot’s license but never took the solo test to get the license. I moved out of country and never got around to finishing it off.
4.) Mountain & road biking – hobby/collection. I’m pretty not that bad.

I like the social sciences, mythology [including folklore and urban myths], cultural history, literature, linguistics, word origins/etymology and various obscure and arcane knowledge[s]. I have never been employed in these fields nor earned a degree in them but I enjoy them all the same.

Hey @ipso i did that too! Never soloed but scared the shit out of an instructor or two. That was back when the trainers were Cessna 150s. What did you fly?

And, of course, I have been a profound observer of my kitty-babies enough to be a cat whisperer too, like @tinyfaery.

@Haleth good to know who to come to for the wine Qs. Does Yellowtail pinot noir make you want to ___?

I know a lot about wine, but never took a formal class on it. I just studied really hard on my own. ;)

Answering question. on Q & A sites. I would rather be a professional, but I can’t seem to stay interested in the ones that pay.

Writing music.

I suck.

@anartist 152/172 – A good friend had just received his trainer’s license. I was his first guinea pig. If anything, he scared the shit out of me. I wasn’t very focused in the air though; spent too much time slipping trying to discover new mountain bike trails above Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. He was not too impressed by that.

I enjoyed the command of the radio best. The mental engagement there is profound; something I never expected. I expected physical/balance effort only. At fist it was like patting your head and rubbing your belly – vacillating between what to focus on. To this day I’m glued to the radio transmissions on commercial flights. The movie Pushing Tin (1999) comes to mind, but no movie yet has captured it quite elegantly enough for me.

The big thing is to rent a plane on the 4th of July for a truly unique fireworks experience. Have done that a few years. By far the most impressive first date I’ve ever rallied for.

In addition to what is listed in my profile,

I am a fairly good equestrian, stone carver, and guitarist

@Haleth just want to know what you think of Yellowtail pinot noir.

@ipso I can imagine how awesome the 4th must have been. My big excitement was once when my trainer and i were out at dusk, and of course i had no instrument training, instructor had to land the plane at Dulles instead of pokey little Gaithersburg Airport the lights the lights . . . the dotted line on the middle of a highway was a line of recessed lights on the runway and the entry ramps or whatever they are called, like cloverleaf were all marked in blue lights. It was so beautiful I painted it. My biggest scare was when my regular instructor who sort of nursed me through landings that were a little off by correcting slightly was temporarily replaced by a guy who was more of a showboat. I had been learning stalls .. it’s been years but i think one put the ailerons down to create wind resistance and a stall . . . and then let the plane level itself out by easing off the stick —- well showboat asked me if i wanted to try a spin . . . maybe one aileron up and one down . . . so i did and it worked—- but i couldn’t get out of it—he didn’t want to die so he got out of it. . . but when we landed he didn’t finesse my booboos and i bounced like a bandit kangaroo all the way down the runway. That was all 1000 years ago. I was in college.

I’m a reasonably skilled amateur brewer, but can’t make better than what’s commercially available except for Belgian-style fruit lambics. I also make pretty good peach, raspberry and strawberry schnapps.

I’m an amateur at telling jokes. Not my strong point really. When people on Fluther show appreciation for my effort at humor I feel proud.

I know a lot about yoga, meditation and body energy but never studied it.
I studied Thai Yoga massage but really would love to get certified.
I have been told I am a pretty good guitarist….sonic blues style most of all.

Playing my guitar, I never took lessons and I never understood notes. I can play pretty good and tune by ear. Painting/drawing as well, I never learned how to do this but ever since I was a little kid I could copy any picture of anything in any book or magazine just by looking at it and get the picture/image exactly the same. I was even able to do this with maps and copy them with precision but I have gotten away from this the older I’ve gotten and when I went to try this recently I found I sucked at it!

Does anybody remember the movie-obsessed college teacher in “The Freshman”? I’m that guy. I’m passionate about movies, and I know a lot about them – the directors, the actors, the plots, the music, production details, the history, and the trivia. Except for one short course in film appreciation in the 60s, I never studied the subject – I just know it. I come from a long line of movie lovers, and thanks especially to my mother, even before I was a teen I knew the names of even obscure character actors of the 30s and 40s. All my life friends and co-workers have considered me their main source for movie information, which I love. Four times a year I write a movie review for a magazine, which I guess makes me a semi-professional. I also maintain a movie review blog on Blogger. BTW, the actor who –played the college teacher in “The Freshman” was Paul Benedict, who you might recall (but probably don’t) was in the 80s TV series “The Jeffersons.”

I’m an excellent swimmer, but I only swim for leisure and exercise. When I was younger, I used to swim competitively in school and university, and won quite a few medals, but I have never swam professionally.

I kick some ass on the golf course.That’s right! ;)

@lucillelucillelucille Anybody can beat nursing home patients but to brag about it is shameful…when you are ready for a real challenge, I will give you one and not only spot you 75 strokes, I will play the round blindfolded with a pool cue and still beat you handedly!

@Cruiser-Dream on.Here’s that cannon to help you reach the green….

Guys – get a room green.

I know a lot about history, and ancient European history in particular (up to but not including the medieval period). I never studied it formally but I always loved it and I read a lot, purely for my own personal enjoyment.

I’m also an amateur singer. I have an okay voice, not a great one – good enough to get respect at karaoke and in my local folk club, but not good enough to consider turning pro.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land i know amateurs can’t sell. too bad, I’d love to taste. I hope you share it with your home community. I bought a local brewer’s brew at a fundraiser for a church in Georgetown. A rare, interesting treat.