Progress Report

I do feel terrible that finals weeks feels more like a vacation than anything else. The semester is drawing to a close and, consequently, so is 2007. In a week or so I'll check my grades and go one from there. But, as we all know, grades do not demonstrate much at all. One of my classes asks me to grade myself which I find to be a very interesting proposition and I'd like to take a moment to do just that now.

What Matthew has learned this semester:

1. Things will NEVER go as planned. Something inside of me drives me to make plans, but the truth is I can never predict or fully control the future. Through all this, I've learned to hold fast to the things I CAN control and simply enjoy the ride.

2. Life is full of difficult choices. And things are only going to get harder. It's not so much fun being a grown-up. But that's all part of the deal.

3. I am a writer.

4. I am an extremely fortunate man. I knew this already but it seems I need to re-learn this lesson every time things go wrong. Perhaps putting it in writing will help.

5. Relationships come and go but loneliness is always loyal. Wow, how depressing. It's a harsh reality, though. Get used to it.

6. Operate under the assumption that women ARE interested, rather than the assumption that they are NOT. This simple shift will take you places.

7. It does you no good to change who you are to appease someone.

8. Don't try to fool yourself. You're smarter than you think.

9. It doesn't matter how talented you are, you need to work like crazy if you really want something.

10. Nothing feels better than to be respected.

11. Painkillers are addictive. (No, it's not what it sounds like.)

12. Save yourself from heartache when you can. Sometimes a relationship is going nowhere, sometimes it should never begin in the first place. Sometimes you should get your hopes up, sometimes you shouldn't.

13. Reach out to someone who's having a worse day than you.

14. A's don't mean everything. But they feel good.

15. The most important friendships will keep themselves alive.

16. A little killer instinct goes a long way.