All of his siblings were good at either baseball, singing, or both. Sure, he knew baseball pretty well and he could sing okay, but he wanted to do something different with his life. It just didn't seem like he fit in with his talented and competitive family except as a supporter. All he could do was cheer them on from the sidelines and help with their practice. He would never be as good as any of them were and he had no interest in matching their skill level.
Recalling another conversation he'd had with the unicorn named Belldandy, Swinger thought about how they'd both had trouble fitting in with their active siblings who each seemed to know what they wanted to do when they were Old Enough. The pegasus kicked a hoof at the dirt, staring absently at the ground. At least Belldandy had the flute, though, even if she was a bit shy. She just needed a little more confidence, which was something Swing thought he had enough of without being too arrogant.
That was right. He didn't bother to compete with others because he was confident enough with himself and his own abilities. Even if he couldn't master any one thing, his willingness to try various other things and to swing from hobby to hobby made him something of a jack-of-all trades. Sure, maybe that left him with nothing he could actually master, but was that really necessary? He was happy with doing what he did now.
And what was that, exactly? Scheduling time with his brothers and sisters...watching other foals and practice their favorite pastimes with them... Smooth Swing realized his true love was to help and coach others. In doing so, he could also learn from them and broaden his experiences. It wasn't much fun when no one was there to understand your passion or want to learn with you, he knew, but to have someone by your side to teach and learn from you in return made everything more enjoyable. Why couldn't designate himself as that someone?
Beaming at this new-found revelation, Swinger hurried indoors to find his saxophone. That would always remind him of the time he'd spent practicing with Belldandy, the time when he'd felt the most successful in reaching out and connecting with her. With his sax, he could still feel connected to his family without feeling he had to compete with him. He didn't have to sing, didn't have to get too dirty, and he could still join in playing music at games or providing an accompaniment for singing recitals.
This represented his purpose. The young pegasus knew now - he could provide the support and friendly competition others needed without being seen as a rival. He would never have to out-do anyone because once someone else got better than him at their passion, they would have the confidence to understand their purpose without his encouragement. To be there as a cheerleader for foals who had no family, to be a playmate for those who had no friends that shared their interests, to be a mentor for whoever sought help...that's what he would do when he was Old Enough.
Taking out his instrument to play with some melodies, Smooth Swing felt confident enough to swing life away, playing his favorite swing music whenever he felt like it just because he felt like it without worrying if it was good enough for anyone.
