the piss circle paradigm

marking and remarking success

Imagine one day walking down a snow covered path. You come to a clearing. In the middle you can’t decide if what you’re seeing is inspiring, appalling or improbable. Who did this, why and what on earth is it doing here?

Some might shake their heads and laugh. Others might roll their eyes. Some would squint and scowl with puzzlement. How the hell did they pull that off, you’d likely hear muttered. What you’ve encountered are the success markings of a remarkable fool.

We all define success in our own ways. A successful life for me involves doing a ‘good enough’ job as a father and never working from a cubicle. For a noble, success might have something to do with family name. For an activist, it might be some new law or policy. For an old person with a lab, success might come in the form of a brass plaque on a park bench.

Success for me is simple. I feel successful every time I get a chance to pee in a circle. If I can do it in the snow? That’s a massive accomplishment. It’s a way of leavi…