How Hard Could It Be?

Some people carefully research a project before they begin.

I am not one of those people.

My brain has a wonderful little habit. It gets an idea, convinces me it’s brilliant, and before common sense has a chance to weigh in, I’m already halfway to the store with my wallet in hand.

Today’s adventure began with a craving.

Not just any craving. I wanted fresh Cherry Stone clams on the half shell with a generous squeeze of lemon. I could practically taste the salty goodness. Into the Jeep I went and off to the market where I proudly purchased a dozen beautiful clams.

Look at me… practically a New England seafood expert.

Back home I dug through the kitchen drawer until I found the clamming knife that had apparently been waiting years for its moment in the spotlight.

There was just one tiny problem.

I had never shucked a clam in my entire life.

No matter. YouTube has raised half of America at this point, so I found a video, watched a guy casually pop open clam after clam like he was opening birthday cards, and figured I’d be right there with him.

I was not.

Those clams fought back like they had signed UFC fighting contract. Every single one was a wrestling match. I poked. I pried. I twisted. I questioned my life choices. Somewhere around clam number four I started talking to them. By clam number six I think they were winning.

Eventually I managed to shuck seven of the twelve.

By then I wasn’t hungry anymore.

Apparently wrestling shellfish for an hour is an excellent appetite suppressant. Hey maybe I’m on to something?

This isn’t the first time my enthusiasm has outrun my abilities, and I suspect it won’t be the last. My life seems to consist of jumping into the deep end first and asking questions somewhere around the middle of the pool. Sometimes it works out beautifully. Sometimes I end up with sore hands, a kitchen that looks like a seafood crime scene, and seven perfectly good clams that took every ounce of determination I possessed.

I don’t know why my brain works this way. It never says, “Maybe buy six already shucked clams.” No, it says, “Let’s become a shellfish expert by lunchtime.”

Still… I’d probably do it all over again.

Because every once in a while those crazy little ideas become great stories. And if nothing else, I can now officially add “amateur clam shucker” to a résumé that absolutely no one asked to see.

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Author: KikiFikar

Kiki Fikar is a native New Yorker who is passionate about taking the day to day life we all experience and sharing it in her tales from Suburbia. She will often be found at the gym, writing snippets each day for future story lines, listening to her two children create their lives, and building the perfect beachfront home and writing retreat in her mind.

36 thoughts on “How Hard Could It Be?”

  1. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    OMG…this is pure gold. I get ideas like that too, but on my way to the store I would have just detoured to the raw bar for those little suckers and had a cocktail.

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  2. I have to admit that I have never shucked a clam in my life. However, I can relate to the “jumping into something” without a plan. I have too many examples to list here, but you are right. Sometimes, things work out. Other times, you get a good story like yours out of it.

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    1. Thanks Diana. At least I have great company like you with me! Happy Sunday! I’m off to tackle a deep clean of the kitchen. Yes late in the day but the lunch debacle set me back. lol

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  8. Hi Karen,

    There is a distinct blend of courage and chaos in the “action first, documentation later” approach to life. It seems your brain operates on a remarkably high ratio of curiosity to risk assessment. While it might lead to a kitchen that resembles a marine crime scene, it certainly makes for better stories than a well-researched trip to the fishmonger.

    Physiologically speaking, you actually did invent a new appetite suppressant: high-intensity interval training combined with fine motor stress.

    I am curious, though:

    Did the seven clams that lost the battle live up to the initial craving, or did the victory taste mostly like sheer exhaustion?

    What is the most glorious success story from this “deep end first” strategy that keeps your brain convinced this method works?

    Either way, seven out of twelve on a first attempt against a determined mollusc is a solid win. Just maybe keep a first-aid kit on the counter next time your enthusiasm takes the wheel.

    Best wishes,

    Bob

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    1. I am just getting to this now as I didn’t know the pending posts were waiting in the wings…

      The first clam tasted like success and satisfied my craving. After that I was just exhausted and wanted it to be over. I’ll tell you what – I will never complain about clam prices again when I order them at a restaurant! I’ll pay top dollar! xoxoxo

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  13. Many years ago, at a supermarket, I watched someone purchase live lobsters. One by one, these still-moving creatures were placed in a bag. I bet they were pissed. I couldn’t imagine driving home with live, angry, and clawed creatures in my back seat. Ever since, I’ve had one rule: Fresh fish at home, crustaceans at restaurants.

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    1. That whole lobster thing freaks me out. Back in the 80s a few friends of mine got together and made lobsters. I had been eating them my whole life mind you but when I heard them screaming in the pot, I totally lost it. Now it’s tails only in a restaurant setting like you said!

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  15. I enjoyed this far more than I expected. What starts as a story about clams quietly becomes a story about curiosity—and the willingness to be a beginner.

    As someone who’s spent much of my life becoming a subject matter expert in several fields, I sometimes forget what it feels like to know absolutely nothing. There’s something humbling about being reminded that every expert was once the person watching a YouTube video, hoping they didn’t stab themselves with the wrong end of the tool.

    I think we’ve all had those moments when confidence arrives well before competence. Yet, looking back, those are often the experiences we remember most. Success teaches us what works. Wrestling with twelve stubborn clams teaches us patience, humility, and usually gives us a much better story to tell.

    Your last line made me smile because it captures something I’ve come to believe: our greatest adventures often begin with the words, “How hard can it be?”

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  17. I love it. I actually do research but because I need to see quick results I cut corners, I.provisr, modify and… Well let’s say not always the result is the one expected but it makes it my project 😂

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