The view from the sidelines

Sometimes in life you have to sit out the game and just watch from the sidelines. Looking back on last year, that's just what I did. I just watched how the game was played. At times I wasn't even on the sidelines - it was more in the stands at the very top of the bleachers trying to figure out what the heck everyone was doing chasing a little ball around. I learned a lot.

My year in DC was a year of observations and learning. This year is more engaging. I'm starting to know the rules of the game and see where I fit in. My ideas of what I thought I was going to do post graduation have changed and build more on what I was doing before grad school, but with a twist.

All of this sports analogy is really just to tell you my most treasured accomplishment for the year. I am in first place this week in a pro football "pickem." Anyone who knows me knows I don't know an ounce about football. The irony. It all goes to show that sometimes the person with a fresh perspective that can utilize resources can beat the experts. We'll see how I do for the season.