You Could Be a Professional and Not Even Know It

You might be a professional and not even know it. Everyone seems to think that to be a professional you have to get paid for your works. Some people think that you don’t even have to be good at what you do; as long as you get paid. According to some. According to me (and to my favorite dictionary) this is not the case.

This knowledge is deeply important to me. So perhaps it will be good to you too. 

I had an intense debate about this with a friend. He was adamant that one must be paid in order to be accurately called a professional. We surveyed other close-by friends and, to a man, I was disagreed with. 

My friends were so adamant that most didn’t even seem to allow for the possibility that there was more to this word than even they knew. There was only one among us who showed curiosity and was interested to have it proven or disproven. 

Now, if only there were a way to look this up . . . 

I let the debate build while asserting that I was in possession of a piece of seemingly-secret knowledge. I knew there was a dictionary available and knew exactly where it was. I also knew that it was not my trusty American Heritage dictionary so I had no idea if it would back me up. And if I could not back it up, my argument would be lost for the moment. My heart ached with the hope that the resident dictionary would prove me true. 

Upon close examination of the stoutly-heavy dictionary, my knowledge was vindicated. And it did take close examination to uncover this truth as the dictionary (an Oxford, I believe) was written in very small print. Not only that but my secret knowledge of the deeper meaning of what it is to be a professional was buried deep at definition number nine. 

According to the fourth definition in my trusty American Heritage Dictionary, “professional” means:

having great skill or experience in a particular field or activity.

American Heritage Dictionary

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There you have it, all it takes to be a professional is skill or experience (or both;).

Aimee

I hope this knowledge brings you as much joy and comfort as it brings me. 

Now it’s your turn to put this to work . . . Are there any skills you have that make you a professional, even if no one else knows it?

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Idiom of the Day

To a man . . . this phrase simply means each and every one.

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