I Got Nothing Compared to These Guys

I am no where near as smart as I thought I was. Just three days ago, I thought I had a pretty good ticker up there. There was also a part of me ready to rest my hat on my, from my own perspective, personal laurels, which were beginning to foster a contentative feel about me. These past two days exposed me to a whole new level of accomplishments and experiences.

Selection interviews for the Alfa Fellowship Program to Russia took place this week. My crash course into the CDS work scene was completely geared towards hosting this event, which was to run to perfection in an upscale, reserved environment (They even put Duder up for a couple of nights in the posh Omni Hotel in Midtown). Everything ran swimmingly: the 24 applicants (of which only 10 were selected. In all over 150 resumes were submitted) remarked enjoying the process much more than should have been neccessary; the selection committee would occassionally give me little winks acknowledging their approval; and I was given ample opportunity to converse with the applicants as they stood on the cusp of a life-changing appointment.

There were the schmoozers and the losers and the people who were so friendly I just wanted to invite them out for a drink once the process was over. But they had all done so much. I sat there and listened and adjusted all the expectations for life. It is so easy to find a nitch and follow the rules of what to expect from life but every one of these applicants found ways to push that envelope just a bit further than even they felt comfortable at times doing. But greatness doesn’t come in the comfort zone. I think that was a Coach Simpson-esque quote. He also told us the hardest part about any workout was getting off the couch.

So now I’m here in New York. I move into my new flat later this afternoon. There’s a really chic seventies style couch lounging in the living room. Hopefully you won’t find me on it too often.