Thanks ever so. But still, and always, there's the heartache of standing just below and behind. If I chose not to pace myself against the very best I know, then this wouldn't happen. If I were willing to go so far and no further, I might find happiness in underachievement. An A minus is, after all, nothing to sneeze at.
Underachievers get to be that way by being unwilling to lose.
Coming up short is rough, and no one likes to be thought not good enough to compete. It's easier to simply not play the game. I refuse to stop playing the game.