Play Like a Champion Today

"What is the quality of your intent?

Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent.

My intent will be evident in the results."
-Thurgood Marshall-




The past few weeks have been a tangle of disappointments and absurdities. The program isn't leaving up to its promises. Friendships here aren't developing the way I had hoped. My body is revolting. And my Demons are winning the battle against my better angels. But today I was handed a gift. A strangely wrapped gift.

Today I was finally handed back my formative essay from the convener of my course. I got a B-, good enough. I put almost no effort into it and I know I can do better if I can focus my efforts a bit more on content. Plus as long as I pass I have never put that much stock in grades. But his feedback, that was the gift. His feedback was suprisingly negative, and personal. He told me my writing was akin to a reviewer of horror films and was, and I couldn't possibly make this up, "far too elegantly written." Not once did he mention what I had done well, suprising considering the grade and the amount of negative feedback he gave me. His feedback was unprofessional and bizarre.

And it was a blessing.

Up until now I have tempered myself in class. I have held back opinions of mine that are incongruous with this professor's. I have sat by and watched him offend my classmates hoping that they would stick up for themselves. I have not challenged him to bring something more to us than a glorified book report every week. But in the last week I have been pushed to far.

Texas has been messed with, and I don't know how it works here in Great Britain, but where I come from you don't get to do that.

I don't ask for much, really the only thing I ask for is that you approach me with respect. Robin has awakened a sleeping giant, poked a wounded dog, or something else from the B-movie dialogue he accuses me of reviewing.

While maintaining my integrity and my commitment to non-violent interaction, physical and emotional, I have committed myself to bringing the full Mike experience to his class. I no longer care if my presence disrupts his authority, if he feels challenged by my knowledge and intuition, and certainly not if he feels that developed writing skills are a handicap in psychology.

Robin better be bringing his A-game in term 2 because he ain't getting anything but from me.

Game On.

I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.
-Jackie Robinson-