Nords,
In addition to the points about adding most to the sum knowledge of the human species when we are up a river without a paddle, I think you hit on something else important here: finding something you don't do very well but which still somehow pulls you in is a good way to stay happy, challenged and engaged by an activity for the long run. Stuff you can nail with your eyes closed after three months tends to get boring. (Sounds like a lot of those jobs we had back in our full-time career days.) Now we can move onto the stuff we suck at, could never get paid for, but really have fun doing
