What’s Your Party Trick?

You could have a birthmark and not even know it. I discovered mine (the size of a pinky-tip, shaped like a footprint) on the inner-west turn of my left-handed arm when my dad, rather roughly, spent at least two minutes scrubbing it with vigor and his spit-licked thumb.

He thought it was chocolate. I once told him his nostrils were alarmingly large, though, so call us even.

But this isn’t about birthmarks so much as it is about self-discovery, with a focus on talent in the topical realm of holiday parties. Namely: a party trick. And like birthmarks, everyone secretly has one.

You just don’t always know it.

I brought up the question at dinner last night with two of my friends: “What’s your party trick?” I asked. Everyone shrugged. They had nothing. If your crew does this to you too, offer their blank responses no mercy. They’re either withholding, as I said, due to unexplored self-ignorance, or they’re imaginary friends, or they don’t want to spoil a potentially party-stopping surprise.

After explaining that mine was both music-related and twofold: 1) I’ve memorized every word to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” 2) likewise, I can rap along flawlessly to Afroman’s “Colt 45,” the others began to divulge.

One was able to make her eyes go in different directions. This, my friends, is quite the thing to see. Another described a strange talent which she called a “safety dive,” where she’s able to jump into a pool while keeping her head above water (the whole time) which means her hair never gets wet and if she’s carrying towels or something (no clue), they stay dry. Obviously, this trick only applies to parties at pools and is mostly important to grandmothers, or lifeguards with perms.

There are all sorts of party tricks out there — I bet you have some super cool weird ones. Charlotte has a friend who can open bottles with her teeth. Maybe you have a friend who can make it sound like a Polly Pocket-sized person is stuck inside his or her mouth.

Friday morning seems like the perfect time to share these tricks, doesn’t it? You’re probably already bored at your desk and trying to not cry or die (what’s going on there, by the way? Work, or finals?).

Tell me. Tell us. Or share a GIF. I think that counts.

Original image of Halston, Bianca Jagger, Jack Haley Jr, Liza Minnelli and Michael Jackson at Studio 54, 1975 via Corbis