John — took me a few days to get through this, but THIS is the line that's stuck with me. I know it wasn’t the point of your story, but damn, was it a laugh!

Anyway, on to the important stuff: I don’t know sports, and despite having enjoyed your essays on Medium for years, I never knew this happened. I’m glad you finally decided though to share it with the world. Your story is a thought-provoking reminder of how we tend to berate ourselves much longer for our mistakes than anyone else ever does. At the same time, your journey here is also a beautiful example of how “losing it all” essentially lowers the stakes, such that we find a new freedom to be truer to ourselves than we ever were before.... and how that's when the real magic can happen.

Good for you for sharing this. May life continue to surprise you in the best of ways.