ENTRY #153
YouTube and Feedback links added 02.12.09
 
3:38 PM, Saturday, November 24th, 2001:
 
First of all: GO BUCKS. I fully expect a statue of Tressel outside the stadium now. Man comes in and beats Michigan IN Michigan his first year. Hell yes. And had we only beaten Illinois we'd be Big Ten Champs right now. It's always somethin' ain't it. Anyway...
 

I receiveda GREAT response to my most recent entry, and it's simply worthy of addressing, and doing so with an entry of its own. It seems that entries like this (without HUGE events) will become few and far between from now on, so it's almost like taking a break. First off, the letter... written by an old WTVN listener:

 
What's another month?
 
It got me thinking about what changes you are living through now.
 
As an example of just how big this is, how completely wrapped up in The Journey (or is it almost to the point of being upgraded to "The JOURNEY" now?) Live Adam is...
 
Michael Jordan walks onto the court and it doesn't even register anymore. The Jorgasm is no more.
 
Maybe that's the comparison: on the one hand, one of the single greatest players to take the court, who just happens to be on the downhill side of his storied career with the end no more than a few years away; on the other hand...there is no storied career yet, only the possibilities of the future.
 
I remember when Adam Kontras was depressed about...well, everything, working the graveyard shift on an AM radio station, life falling apart, marriage #1 toast. I told him then that five years were about a quarter of his whole life. Well, as much as a person changes between 15 and 20, so do you change between 20 and 25, or 26 and 30. It just keeps going.
 
Good luck, Live Adam; and good luck to whoever comes next.
 
Now this may not have had the effect you all think it did. I am by no means so wrapped up in current career events that I don't realize how FREAKIN' cool it is. I am very well aware of how blessed my life is at this moment. I'm livin' THE GOOD life right now. I just have to choose my entries wisely, ya know? If I really just wrote:
 
OH MY GOD.
 
OH  MY GOD.
 
OH MY GOD.
 
Every couple of days...it'd be sort've silly. I mean, I found myself two days ago for no apparent reason, jumping as high as I could in my apartment. Giddy. Nearly touching my head to the ceiling man. Out of the blue just so happy I couldn't contain myself. And nothing had happened. I wasn't even thinking about things. I think I was walking from my desk to the couch, and halfway there it just hit me. "Time to jump really high" (speaking of which, losing the weight has certainly allowed THAT to be possible. I hit the rim at my dad's house in October. I've never done that. I should practice...maybe I could slam?) Ahh yes, and basketball...
 
There's been no Jorgasm, because...well they're 2-9 people. And a Jorgasm for MJ finally hitting 50% just doesn't have the same MMMPH to it. But I should tell you this...not only have I taped every game, I have made a 3-4 minute reel of MJ's highlights set to music for all of 'em. I'm tellin' you - every waking moment I need to produce SOMETHING. As far as my assessment of Jordan this year...it's so difficult. I still feel he is HIGHLY comparable to where he was in 1998. We all gotta remember that Jordan from 1996-'98 didn't jump and fly either...but he still won 3 straight championships. Now the reason he is struggling of course is age a bit, but his surrounding players are putting ALL the pressure on him. I really feel that had you put the 1998 MJ on this team, he'd be struggling just the same.
 
Either way, here's a video clip of the one play in the last game that basically summed MJ up so far this year... It also ties in a perfect double entendre entry title of "Twilight Awareness". He flies past someone, spins through 2 defenders, goes up on the left side of the hoop and spins around to the right trying to lay-it up..vintage MJ - and he misses. There just isn't the lift. It is VERY early in the season, but I really think the tendonitis in his knees is killin' him.
 
But he's still absolutely a joy to watch. He inspires the hell out of me. Talk about following your heart. He actually inspires me more than any celebrity figure ever. Maybe because he has talents I'll NEVER have, I can be in awe. Anyone else in my field I get competitive with. Hmmm... Food for thought for sure.
 
Rereading the letter...dude - Live Adam is not me. HAHA. I laugh because of the fact that I've taken talking about myself in the 3rd person to a new height. LOL. I guess I should just let it be. Fine I'm Live Adam if ya want me to be....
 
...and therein lies the beauty in all this. It's all happiness. It's all lined with platinum. The Journey to "make it", is now deep into "making it". It's no longer "how will I?", it's "this is how I will". So it's fun! Everything is happier. Take this for example...
 
You know how I lost all that weight? In that entry in April I mentioned how I was flipping channels on primetime TV and realizing that THIS was my competition. Even the ugly dudes were "hot". Flat stomaches, muscles...all that. So I had to get in gear because I'd now be competing on some level with THAT. Well this meeting on Wednesday is just that. They need to get a "look" at me. See my body type, see what I look like, get a feel for that. All the superficial bullshit. But I've already perpared for it! I lost 50 pounds, and then started lifting weights. All that for just this type of situation. That fact makes me want to jump up and down and scream. All my ducks are IN A ROW. It's all gonna happen. Or let me put it this way, everything I CAN control - I am. And that's what succeeding is all about. Seeing the road, making it yours - and controlling every aspect that's yours to control. Not wasting a second.
 
I mean, do you know how many people are out here that aren't doing that?!?! It blows my mind! You just want to grab these people and say: "YOU'RE IN LA MAN. YOU MADE IT. YOU GOT HERE. All you need to do is be ADEQUATE and you can make it huge" Seriously, these fuckin' comics that don't practice their routine? Or do the same goddamn routine for a year...WHAT? The comics that have goddamn NOTEBOOKS on stage? Have some fuckin' pride already. Ugh. Can't get into this. I'll step on a bunch of toes. Anyway...
 
So yes, I realize how amazing this time is. I'm even close to saying that this may be the best it ever gets. Before all the expectations get TOO high (though how the hell is that possible!?!) - but as I've said all along: The Journey is what's special. And I'm in the twilight of it. I'm loving every second of my life right now. Every phone call is more amazing, every "self-awareness" moment I have shocks me to the point of elation, it's just awe inspiring.
 
Only one more level on Monkey-Ball to finish.
 
Adam
 
original video file
NOVEMBER 2001
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