Well, the 2012 USA Memory Championship is just a few months away and despite the fact I wasn’t sure if I would compete again I all the sudden feel like Brett Favre. I think I am looking more forward to this tournament than any in the past.
In 2008, I was returning from a deployment to Afghanistan and had no clue what to expect and although it was exciting for me I wasn’t sure what was happening next. I came in 4th and was happy enough with that. In 2010, I knew I was going to win. I mean you can’t really know that you are going to win but I really felt that I was. I had trained for nearly 6 months and trained hard for the event. But there was some pressure, ‘What if I train for 6 months and don’t win!? YIKES!!’
Safely enough I won and then 2010 was NERVE RACKING…ahhh…I was the favorite…I always like being the underdog and now I was the favorite. I won the 2010 USA Memory Championship. Perhaps the win that I am the most proud of because I overcame TREMENDOUS personal distractions that kept me up all night and only allowed me 45 minutes sleep.
The 2011 USA Memory Championship I am proud of my results and any previous year I would have won but was simply beat by a better score.
But here comes the 2012 USA Memory Championship and I am loose as a goose. Not going in as a favorite, nothing to defend I can go for my strategy of just going for broke in the events and having fun. So I am looking forward to the 2012 USA Memory Championship more than any previous if only for the simple reason that I will be the most relaxed I have ever been and I am looking forward to just having fun.
The only thing that will keep me from competing would be a speaking engagement that conflicts. I have already scheduled one speaking engagement in Cyprus around the March 24th date but not sure how many more events I could persuade to move so I could compete. Let’s hope nothing conflicts and we can all have some fun March 24th at the 2012 USA Memory Champiosnhip