Category Archives: Life
People are assholes
People can really be difficult sometimes. I had an experience sometime ago with a teenager from Langley that left me wondering about the lack of accountability and effort some people have.
I was teaching this student in a one-on-one online class. The goal was to help him learn how to annotate a book properly—a simple enough task. I figured the best way to do that was to give him a physical copy of the book, A Life of Knuckleballs, which I had written. Instead of just sending him a digital copy, I wanted him to have the real thing, something he could hold in his hands and interact with.
So, I ordered the book from Amazon and had it shipped directly to him. The tracking information showed that it was delivered. But the student said he never received it. At first, I thought maybe it was just a mix-up, so I asked him to check with his guardians or neighbors to see if they had taken the package by mistake. His response? “Nope, no one has it.” Okay, I thought, let’s sort this out.
Now, I could have sent him a PDF of the book by email. But the teenager claimed he had no access to a printer. And the point of letting him have a copy of the book was so that he could annotate directly on the pages. So, I thought, okay, let’s get the physical copy to him somehow.
I then reached out to the school manager, asking if he could deliver the book to the student’s address. The manager’s response? “I don’t live in Langley, and I’m not going to go there.” That was it. No willingness to help, no problem-solving, no accountability.
So here’s the deal: the teenager didn’t take responsibility for checking where the book had gone. Maybe he was being lazy, maybe he didn’t care enough to look into it further, or maybe he just didn’t want to deal with it. Or he lied about not receiving the book and just threw it into the garbage. But either way, he didn’t put in the effort. And the manager, instead of stepping in and helping out, just shrugged it off, saying he didn’t want to go the extra mile. So now, not only did the student fail to learn how to annotate, but he got out of doing any work at all. And the manager didn’t show any responsibility, either.
It’s frustrating when people don’t take ownership of their actions—or in this case, their lack of action. I was trying to help, but the student didn’t care enough to make sure the book got to him. And the manager couldn’t have been bothered to assist.
This whole situation made me realize that responsibility is becoming a lost art. It’s not about things always going perfectly—sometimes life happens. But when things go wrong, taking responsibility and making an effort to solve the problem is crucial. Instead, the teenager lied about not receiving the book (again, Amazon’s tracking information indicated the book had been delivered), and the manager couldn’t be bothered to help.
If you’re going to ask for help or try to learn something, the least you can do is put in some effort and take responsibility for your part in the process. Otherwise, don’t be surprised when nothing works out. It’s a shame that both the student and the manager didn’t do what they should’ve. And at the end of the day, it just left me feeling disappointed and frustrated with the whole situation.
Some people know the truth, while others are a**holes
But there are also students who know the truth: that I’m a star and inspire them and guide them well. In fact, several students this week approached me to say they appreciate my teaching and how I help them to learn well, more than what other past instructors have done for them.
I’m a star. I know it. Serious students know it.
Just those a**holes who try to railroad me don’t. Or those cheating a**holes who use ChatGPT or whatever other software to cheat and then think they’re better than they are. But that’s what the world’s coming to now, right?
Anyway, the sun will still rise the next day. Those who are a**holes and think they’re better than me, etc. etc. Well, guess what. When you go do your business in the toilet, you stink just like everyone else. Keep acting like you’re superior, etc. I can remember one guy named Kenny in high school, Asian guy just like me, who said my name is “Kok,” so my father must be “Dick” and my mom “Vagina.” Yup, Asian guy. There are and will always be a**holes like that.
Just keep knocking me down. I still get right back up. The sun still rises the next day.
Wally Pipp’ed Without Being Wally Pipp
The title of this story should be “Wally Pipp’ed without being Wally Pipp”—but to keep to the hockey theme, we’ll call it “The Unraveling of My Hockey Dream.”
I had always loved hockey, and when I discovered an opening for a camera operator with the local amateur team, I jumped at the chance. I believed that showing up early and doing the job would secure my spot—unlike Wally Pipp, who lost his position to Lou Gehrig for taking a day off. I was determined to avoid a similar fate.
The media relations guy welcomed me warmly, and I made it a point to arrive early every time, pouring my heart into each game. To feel like a true part of the team, I ordered their hat and shirt, ie. merchandise with the team logo. You could not buy them from the team directly but had to do so online from a third-party store. Little did I know that this small investment would lead to a nightmare. The store’s communication was poor; they insisted I download the “Shop” app to track shipping. Long story short, downloading that particular app—again, for the purpose of tracking the shipping—wrecked my phone, costing me $140 for a new one. By the time my gear finally arrived, my excitement had soured into frustration.
Then came the gut punch. Two weeks after I had received the merchandise, the media relations guy texted me, casually mentioning that the team management was bringing in a college student to take over the camera work. My heart sank. I had invested so much into this position, convinced that my dedication would pay off. Instead, I felt like a placeholder, just another face until someone else came along.
I couldn’t shake the words of a relative who had questioned my spending on the team’s merchandise: “You’re probably spending more than you’re making.” I had brushed it off at the time, thinking my passion justified the costs. But now, those words echoed in my mind, a bitter reminder of my misplaced priorities. The shirt and hat I wore with pride felt useless—tokens of a dream that had slipped away.
Disgusted and disheartened, I reflected on the experience. I was reminded of something I should have already known—it doesn’t matter if you show up early and do the job. It does not matter that you are fairly competent and reliable in the job. In other fields, in other workplaces, people often keep their jobs for showing up late, being incompetent, and being rude to customers. Life stinks, and sometimes it feels like everything you pour your heart into can crumble in an instant.
I had hoped to contribute to something I loved, but instead, I felt cast aside, much like Pipp, who had been replaced without a second thought.
As I packed away my team gear, I realized that passion alone wouldn’t secure my place in this world. I would need to find a new path, one where I could truly thrive—not just as a fan, but as someone whose dedication could lead to something meaningful. It was time to redefine my journey, seeking opportunities where my passion and effort could truly make a difference, ensuring I wouldn’t be left behind again.
Update: I’ve decided to give that store a one-star rating as a review.
Gotta find ways to feed yourself…
On Sunday night, I was tipped off to the fact that if the NY Jets fell behind any further — down 30-15 with seven minutes left in regulation against the Pittsburgh Steelers — they would likely pull all their starters. Or Pittsburgh might just run out the clock. Armed with that information, I did the following:
I can’t take the credit for this. Again, I was tipped off to the possibility of the Jets just giving up or not having the ball back for the rest of the game. So, I risked 30 bucks for a chance at a small profit.
But you gotta do what you gotta do to feed yourself. During the weekend, I was at the hockey rink doing play-by-play as a side gig. And during the intermissions and before the games, I had earphones in my ears listening to tips and live updates about college football, the NFL, and the NHL. Or after and before classes (yes, on the weekend), I stopped by at McDonald’s for a couple hours to again do the same thing, listening to tips and live updates so that I could make smart investments. (Yes, I ordered food while staying there, unlike some who use these places as their “offices” without ordering anything. And yes, like I said, I had earphones, unlike many inconsiderate people who play their stuff loudly without any earphones to annoy others around them. Jerks.)
Again, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Thanks to listening to tips and live updates, I was 3-0 in the three Sunday NHL games: Winnipeg Jets to win by exactly 3 goals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (ahhh, another “Jets/Pittsburgh” matchup), Winnipeg to beat Pittsburgh by the correct score of 6-3, LA Kings to beat Anaheim by more than 2.5 goals, and Colorado to beat the Sharks by the correct score of 4-1. These were taken with about five minutes left in each game. There were some misses in the NFL, unfortunately, but you can’t win all your investments. Got burned by the two late TDs in the KC/49ers game. The rest, though, were pretty good. (Again, I was tipped off to most of these situations.)
Ultimately, there were more than 100 picks made for the entire weekend, and I came out on the plus side, but although I tracked them, it’d be impossible to post them all here. Will have to try again for Monday Night Football (two games), Tuesday hockey, and Thursday Night Football and hockey, and see what happens.
You gotta do what you gotta do.
People just like knocking me down
I had a great conversation with Michael Unger (@UDeck1990 on X) about his baseball card postings on social media; it was a wonderful discussion about baseball players from the 1990s.
While that was a great discussion, as I mentioned during the episode, people are vicious if they don’t agree with you.
There’s an example of a situation with a coworker many years ago, when I mentioned that a certain player (who made his major-league debut in that same decade of the 1990s) was overrated. That player happened to be my coworker’s favourite players — or at least one of his favourites. This was an in-person comment that I made when we were discussing baseball.
The coworker began targeting me ever since, for the duration of my time in that organization. First, he sent me a lengthy email stating why I was wrong and why that player was not overrated. Then he just stopped cooperating with me at work. He eventually attempted to get me fired, coming up with a devious scheme.
I left that organization shortly after, but I’m better for it. It was a toxic environment and not just because of that coworker. Management was incompetent, for the most part, and did not appreciate hard work. They appreciated those who kissed asses while not working hard or working smart.
After leaving, I went through a period where I became productive with other projects and also learned who my friends were and who weren’t. I reached out to some “friends” and lamented that I had left my company — and most of them never contacted me again. They cut me off, cut me out, because — apparently — they thought I was a lowlife who didn’t have a job.
But I was productive in other areas, and I’m proud of some of the things I did during that time.
Anyway, that’s just one story. And this one started because I made a comment about a baseball player (who, incidentally, has already passed away) that the coworker liked.
Seriously?
Like I said, people are vicious. They just are.
(Note: The player whom I said was overrated had the same pitching style as another pitcher that I mentioned in the podcast, but I won’t say that deceased player’s name.)
k. p. wee 