Chris’ Midterm Report Card aka All Downhill From Here!
PROJECT IRON FIST/velvet glove
- I will learn to fight and I will compete in a mixed martial arts bout before the year is out. Knowing you can doesn’t mean you must – but it helps.
GRADE: FAIL – I did start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes and then left for the US, and have yet to pick them up. Then again, I find that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t necessarily blow my skirt up (which is more than I can say of my freeballing training partners). I will go back to them for now, although I will need to consult an expert to see if there’s another martial art out there that’s made for me.
- I will seek out experts to the learn fine arts of negotiation and persuasion, to have my way, and my way with people.
GRADE: PASS – but only because I’ve sought them out, not because I’ve applied their lessons.
- I will discover how to prevail in the psychological mind-fucking that women seem so good at and I usually get shredded by.
GRADE: FAIL – my MO continues to be to let women THINK I’m giving them their way, and then…give them their way. A FAIL on par with the Greek economy.
PROJECT MODEL CITIZEN
- if there’s a federal or provincial election called in the next calendar year, I will run as the candidate I’d want to vote for.
GRADE: FAIL – No federal or provincial election so far. There is a municipal election in October but my city counsellor Adam Vaughan is a noble, highly qualified individual who deserves a better opponent than me.
- In the meantime, I’ll get active; watch for me at the public meetings, the law courts, and maybe some protests.
GRADE: FAIL – MP Olivia Chow did challenge me to organize my neighbours. I responded by moving out my building and her riding. I was at the G20 protests, but mostly as a tourist.
- I’ll voice my opinion by writing letters to the editor, posting in forums, being a pundit on panels.
GRADE: FAIL – can you believe no cares to hear what I have to say?
- I’ll attempt to right some wrongs, like a superhero but without the cape.
GRADE: FAIL – not that there aren’t wrongs worth righting, only that I haven’t gotten around to them.
jac
Actually…you’ve already missed 4 sibling birthdays… the next birthday is moments away.. you can still get a card to him in time if you send today…. and after that you only have one more sibling birthday to remember and I’ll give you plenty of lead up time to that important day so you can produce the most amazing and perfect present and homemade card.
The Bitter Man
There had better be money in that card too …. tick tock!
Chris
Well, so long as I don’t miss your birthday, we’re cool, right?
Katie
I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since you started this!! Do you feel better?
Chris
Not as better as I would like to be. I need to do more shit that scares me, full stop, and that hasn’t happened often enough. I know it’s a lame excuse, but actually making money tends to get in the way. What’s more, I’m starting to think that getting better requires a lifetime, not just a year.
Chris
Tragically, I feel only marginally better, and only because I’ve learned to deal with constant crises as opposed to made tangible progress. Mind you, when I was in school I always did my best work on the night before the assignment was due, so maybe December will be profoundly life-changing.