When I was fifteen I learned something new about myself every day. When I was fifteen I decided something new about myself every day.
I've stuck with a lot of them.
Today I learned a lot of things about myself.
Today I learned that Dave's drive-by afternoon kisses turn daunting tasks into Things I Can And Will Conquer.
Today I learned that my integrity has not yet entirely fallen, and that cajoling me into looking up "Marlene Dietrich" because "You look JUST like her" means nothing to me. I don't, and if I did it would neither affect the quality of my work, nor change my demands as to the quality of yours.
Today I learned that there are other people here with the same work ethic as mine, and that I am mature enough to be thrilled by their peerage, rather than threatened by their presence.
Today I learned that I'm not the only one who had to listen to "you're such a party-pooper, what do you mean you're staying in to study when everyone else is partying?!?"
Today I remembered a few things too.
But I also learned that this many days straight of no monstre-time fills up my brain, and today I didn't learn nearly as much as I could have.
But I DID learn that no matter how retarded I sound to my loved ones when my mouth motors on automatic pilot (as Steven has had so many opportunities to experience), I still scare the living hell out of other managers.
And every once in a while I catch myself using a word that I learned from this or that asshole or hero I've worked with and I realize anew each time --
I'm pretty good at learning.
To me, this is the most wonderful thing in the universe.