Man in the Mirror

The man in the mirror is a very dangerous enemy. He happens to be very elusive and non-descript. As a result, many who come into his path die a very slow (yet painful) death because they are unable to identify their greatest adversary in a timely manner.

Successful people have a favorable ratio of good to bad decision making. For example, the average person might make five good decisions prior to making a bad decision. Bubblees, on the other hand, operate in reverse. For instance, if a Bubblee enrolls in college (good decision) he will soon find a way to (1) get expelled and (2) banned from college altogether while simultaneously having his (3) license revoked which will cause him to (4) lose his job and (5) ultimately his home. Their adult lives are marked by this woefully uneven balance of good versus poor decision making.

Flash is a perfect example of this. I've written extensively so far about his poor judgment. His latest move was probably the icing on his cake. Three years ago, Flash decided to leave his hood to pursue a college degree here, which is an hour away from home for him. This was a great move. Many of Flash's negative influences were in his neighborhood, and even in his own home, so it made sense for him to get away. Although he made bad decisions out here, Flash still managed to do well enough to be recruited by a four-year college.

A month into the school year I decided to call his Coach to see how things were going. The call was prompted when I didn't see his name in the box score of his previous game. 

Me: How are things going with Flash?
Coach: I wish I could say things were good.
Me: What's going on?
Coach: He was doing fine up until the season started. He was coming to practice. He was doing fine in class. The guys liked him. He was working hard.
Me: okay?
Coach: So anyway, I decided to bring him off the bench to back up our point guard who has been here for two years already.
Me: Lemme guess. Flash didn't like that?
Coach: Not at all. He didn't play well. I didn't see the same guy who was dominating during the summer. After our last game, he stopped coming.
Me: What? Really?
Coach: Yeh. Nobody has heard from him since.

Three games into the season, Flash quit the team because he wasn't getting enough playing time. His Coach hasn't seen him around campus since he left the team.