There are people who are Subject Matter Experts (SME). Sometimes one gains this status through academia, but most often by earning a reputation that may be based on book learning but that is honed through experience. Whether it is the person on the witness stand or the local mechanic, there are go-to people in small towns and metropolises who everyone knows will have the answer or get the job done.
I've been an SME on a variety of things in my career, and there were times when that fed my ego as well as paying the bills. In this wikipedia and google era, however, we can all be SMEs in an instant on any matter. It can be easy to overlook the blood, sweat and tears that many put in to earning the spot that enabled them to pen what others may claim as their own from digital sources.
Now, I'm at a place in life and my career where, I think simply through age, persistence and experience, I have evolved into an SME generalist, a Jill-of-all-trades. I'm a trusted consultant, confidante and problem-solver. As such, I'll pass on the two most important things I've learned over the decades.
The first is that the greatest gift someone can give you is to really listen to you, and in this day and age when multitasking is valued and attention span is minimal, it is a rare gift indeed.
The second is that the words "I don't know" can actually take you farther in life.
Marilyn
thank you. I will consider myself a gift giver and evolved farther along in life.
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