Owning Excuses and Failure (Part One)

I actually heard this exchange between a student and a professor a few weeks ago:

The student wearing something barely legal, practically teetering on her platform flip-flops, twirling her bleached hair and snapping her gum, "Umm...I'm not really sure how to take notes."

The professor blankly staring back at the student, "Write down everything I say."

Student, "Ooohhh...Okay...Well...I don't really know what to read."

Professor (continuing the blank stare), "Do you have the READING list that I gave you?"

Student, "Yes."

Professor, "... ... ... It's a READING list. It tells you what and when to read."

Student, "Ooohhh...It's on the READING LIST?? I didn't know...I've been wondering, like...What do I read?? Okay. Thanks! Bye."

Her and her three brain cells left the room (it was a wonder she could find the door).

And something peculiar happened in me...I was a little envious of her. Not of her skimpy threads that she was sporting, or her bleached out hair, or her platform flip-flops, or her over-chewed gum. Although, they were all very nice indeed.

I was envious because she didn't really give a shit.

***************

So, you may remember me talking about a one-person play that I wrote a while ago...(Yeah, I'm fucking tired of it too.) There are 14 characters in the play, all of which I'll be playing. As is the nature of a "one-person play". Heh.

I'll be playing them if I ever get off of my lazy, complacent ass.

I wrote the main story about 2 years ago. And have done edits here and there and all around the square, while shelving it for great lengths of time.

Recently I made some major edits and handed it off to some folks to read in the hopes that it would motivate me more...or that all copies would somehow spontaneously burst into flames and that would be the end of it.

The End.

But as of yet, no such thing has happened.

I've been questioning myself for ages now over this...

"Kevin, do you think it's crap?"

Yes, I think it's crap.

"Kevin, do you think it's good?"

Yes, I think it's good.

"Kevin, are you afraid of success?"

I don't fucking know, you asshole. What kind of question is that??

"So touchy...Okay...Well, Kevin, are you afraid of failure?"

Yes.

"Well, Captain Dramatico, these folks weren't...Or at least you wouldn't know it by the looks of them."