Thanks haha I have to admit I tend to like all the times I have earned a superlative.
I am a big believer in humbleness. But humbleness is not downplaying ones accomplishments. That is a dishonest deceptive strategy used merely to further elevate onself. Ex. The guy who graduates from Harvard but says "Oh....I graduated from a little school near Boston" - waiting for you to ask which one. While that no doubt seems appropriate and admirable to many (most?) of you, I view the practice with humor and disdain. Its certainly not humble. Downplaying ones accomplishments is NOT humble.
Humbleness is to assume ones correct position in the universe, not an elephant pretending to be a little old mouse or a mouse claiming to be an elephant. 2 weeks ago I was bench pressing in the gym at the high school, and hit 365 LBS for a single rep and 225 LBS for 15. Many of the high school kids were impressed, and while its true that I am one of the strongest guys on that high school campus, I have recently watched a current acupuncture patient of mine bench 810 LBS at the YMCA gym for 4 or 5 reps. I told them about my friend, to keep what I can bench press in perspective for them. Yeah anything near twice your bodyweight benchpress (like I did) is good - its certainly not a superlative.
Granted , "one of the more interesting" is a subjective phrase, open for interpretation. So it is always open to personal interpretation, sounds self-aggrandizing to many. I could have stayed with more objective verifiable statements like saying I wrote and appeared in a series of instructional martial arts tapes in the 1990's that outsold Chuck Norris'; marketed by the same company. Or I have appeared in virtually every English language martial arts magazine in the USA. But whether things like that are "interesting" is open to personal opinion.
Some may find Truman Capote's book IN COLD BLOOD interesting, but I find it impossible reading, probably in part because a high school classmate went to prison my junior year in high school for cold blooded murder (by the time he was done he had shot one man execution style, and killed many more with a knife) and I find the book suffocating reading. However I find some movies about stealing interesting - again because a classmate committed the largest burglaries in our towns history ($50,000 in silver from one house alone using 1982 standard of living money), and another public school classmate committed the first computerized bank theft in history. I don't condone these at all, but I find them interesting. Saying that I currently make a meager ~$30,000 salary as a teacher is as humble as saying I had one of the largest (in terms of income) rural business' of its kind (1994-1998) in my state (as documented in the book HEALTH CARE STATE RANKINGS by Morgan and Quitno and my IRS tax returns).
Some find my meeting George Clooney on the set of the movie 3 KINGS and taking a pee in his movie trailer interesting, my wife completely does not. Some find my story of a naked lady coming to a door I knocked on once interesting, I think its a stupid story.
However when I refered here to my story as being one of the "most interesting" in this arena, it has nothing to do with my past : business success or failures, movies I have been in, state championships (basketball, kickboxing, wrestling, etc), coming in 2nd place to an Olympic marathon team member in a footrace, numerous near death experiences, etc. It refers to the fact that I probably have one of the worst chances of matching (mediocre at best USMLE scores, having resigned, crappy Caribbean school, etc) , and am one of the most hated members on here. I could probably name 2 dozen members here without slowing down that have strong feelings hoping I fail in this attempt (all AMG).
However there are several FMG/IMGs rooting for me to match. I would bet I am one of the most watched members here in terms of how this years match goes.... hence the use of the word "interesting". No doubt some of that comes from my being one of the more outspoken people in this arena.
In large part I do so for the benefit of other FMG/IMG who know they are viewed as losers by AMG's and even moreso by DO's, and who (like me) are less than stellar in their applications . I hope when I match it serves as inspiration for all those, just like the ones who regularly clog my PM box to completely full, who are hopeless and feel like giving up when it is their dream to accomplish it. I have recieved dozens of PM's from FMG's/IMG's facing problems ranging from financial to marital, and write back telling me how much hope I give them - and how my attitude inspires them. It literally overflows my PM box at time - as noted in previous public posts here from people complaining my mail box is full again.
So many FMG's/IMG's who contact me are not paper tigers. Many have practiced for years already and many have done a great many things (professionally and in life) - things beyond the average twenty something traditional grad.
This is so funny, . . . I am sorry if this was not mean to be funny on at least some level. But, how you write about your obvious glee with being able to be the strongest person on a high school campus, (how old are you?) is one of the funniest replies to a criticism I have seen.
It is "interesting" that you appearred in "all the english language martial arts magazines in the U.S.". . . I don't actually subscribe to any or know who you are so I will have to pass. This agains sounds very comedic! If true you should realize that people reading this will laugh as not everybody is impressed with Chuck Norris and hence out selling him means nothing!
This post got a little disturbing writing about what people in your town did, not really interesting, but actually common crime. I don't think you should bring this up to make yourself seem more interesting! That is great that you met George Clooney filming some movie I don't remember, but this isn't interesting, most people have such stories because movie stars bump into us normal people by the hundreds each day!
Tip of the Day: Don't brag about urinating in George Clooney's trailer!
I think it is paranoid to say that there a dozen AMGs who are routing for you to fail, this is a persecution complex. Believe it or not but nobody cares about your matching nearly as much as you.
I take it the "largest business of its kind" in your state was as an acupuncturist?? Bragging about being a money-making accupuncturist in some state isn't interesting.
Personally I don't necessarily based on this post find you to be the "most interesting" person on these boards, and wouldn't want to have a beer with you while you discussed your prior martial arts career and urinating in George Clooney's trailer. People who really know movie stars and popular bands don't brag about it or mention being in the presence of so and so . . . We all have had our bumps with fame . . . I could tell you some pretty interesting things well beyond urinating in George Clooney's trailer, sufficed to say I have what I consider an interesting life outside of medicine too, we all have something special in the end . . .
I guess I am not as interesting as you as my brag story only involves: an MTV band of the year, an olympic gold medalist, a couple best-selling authors, and half a dozen blockbuster movies.
Yeah, for real, when I was on an ER rotation I told a couple of fellow students (who were a little snotty) see that movie with Nicholas Cage? (me pointing at t.v. in ER). I . . . (my story) . . . they were surprised as in they didn't know what to say next. I know people who have had their own network television show for years, . . . not sure how that stacks up to your experience out there in martial arts land.
But I guess an interesting person like you wouldn't want to know about that? Would you? Or maybe about the guy I know who has made and lost millions of dollars over the years and was/is an actor like almost everyone in his family? I can visit one of the major filming lots when I want to in Cali and can talk to the vice-president of entertainment at a major studio - - -when I want to, I don't know that you can say that.
Anyway, I don't think about this aspect of my life as medicine is my focus and most folks in medicine wouldn't care, and I sure don't care much about it anymore anywho . . . I guess I grew up! Oh, I do write in my spare time, in fact you may have read some of my stuff, hehe. My grandfather has *been* in major motion pictures that have been nominated, something I haven't felt the need to bring up ever in a rotation. I don't know what you did in film, be it extra work or something like that. But it isn't that unusual or interesting!
Thought I would bring this up to let you know that others here have interesting past lives as well! In the end, everybody has interesting hobbies/experiences and who is to judge what is better/more interesting? I am sure we all think our own life story is more interesting. Thought I'd bring up some of my more flashy associations myself, don't think I've ever mentioned this on SDN. I couldn't resist as you seem to think you are tops in terms of being interesting. I think it is *interesting* that I can watch HBO and see some friends and actually know what they do in their private lives.
I have literally eaten a meal costing $7,000 on more than one occassion (as a guest I think that is overpriced myself), and the next day eaten McDonalds and you know what? They are both just food in the end. Its frickin' annoying eating "brunch" with celebrities and being served a six course meal if you can't get up and leave. So many people you might think are interesting like Chuck Norris I think are often quite boring.
I grow less and less impressed with the "upper crust" each year, heck, I don't even fly first class as I think it is too elitist and I am not as fascinated with their company as when I was a young child.
How do you like them apples?
