I admit that I am moved by the eloquence of Wasik’s words. While I appreciate the underserved praise that he heaps upon me, his remark that implied I was a coward cut to the bone. Like Crazy Horse, I’ve always believed that the brave men go to the front while the cowards hide in the back. But then, look at where such a brazen attitude got me in dodge ball—sitting on a bench in a school gymnasium as the Mighty Warrior fell to Custard’s army. However, perhaps Wasik is right; perhaps I am the one cowering in the back if I throw in the towel now instead of fighting another day. I will let other Warriors on the newspaper make their own judgment on this question.

Nevertheless, I am not one who is prone to change his mind once he has selected his path. In the words of Ghost Dog, “one should make his decision within the space of seven breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break through to the other side.” This is the way of the samurai.

I’m going to take a day off from work and go on an arduous journey to let the crisp air clear my head of doubts. Growing up a poor boy in the concrete jungle of Milwaukee’s mean streets, I’m not exactly inclined to go hike a mountain or even amble around the countryside with a walking stick in hand. Wandering the bucolic, tree-lined neighborhoods of Montgomery County should be enough to do the trick…I hope. I am at the crossroads. To paraphrase that poet who journeyed into the depths of hell and back, midway upon the journey of our life I find myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Tell us what you think in the comment field below: Should he stay, or should he go? Is the agony of defeat too much to bear? Should the elusive thrill of victory serve as motivation to continue?