I like to think that I’ve mellowed with age. I’m relaxed, chill, low-key. I have given up any previous passion for perfection. I’m comfortable with mediocrity when mediocre is called for. Just look at yesterday’s post. Perfectly middling.
I suspect people who know me well are laughing so hard they’ve just spit out their coffee.
Look, I try to be content with what I’ve got. At 50, I have enough self-confidence that I don’t need to worry too much about outside perception. Sometimes this is even true. Sometimes, I can happily come in second – or even third. Mostly, I can curb my competitive nature – especially if I’m concentrating on being easygoing.
Also, I just stayed up well past my bedtime on the last night of March Break playing Duolingo. I snuck up behind “Panda” and overtook the number one spot in the Diamond League, logging out with only a few minutes left before this week’s competition is over; she’ll never catch up. And I’m terribly pleased with myself.
So, yeah, not so mellow after all.
(In my defense, I am *comparatively* easygoing now. It’s just that I’ve really never been that kind of person at all.)
Persistence and Pedagogy 
Thanks for the reminder to do my duolingo (at 11:34pm, I’ll be coming in just before the day ends also!!!).
Have a good week =)
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Amanda,
LOL! I knew you were trying to convince yourself rather than inform us w/ that easygoing shtick! JK! Not really. 😉Look, I’m competitive at the things I know I can win. Not so much when I’m confident I’ll lose. It’s why I’ve been divorced. My ex hated when I was right. Congratulations on that Duolingo triumph!
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This was funny. Coming first in Duolingo is no small win and you have every right to feel joy and satisfaction, obviously in the most casual and mellow way. 😉
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My takeaway, I don’t know what Duolingo is…I will check it out. I related to your opening. I feel like I’ve mellowed out as I’ve gotten older, but upon closer examination, I don’t think I really have.
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you know the algorithm is totally designed to make people like us do more on Duolingo, right? And that there is no guarantee that anyone else on your leader board actually exists. I type this after having done 3 extra lessons last night to stay at#5 in the diamond league. Totally with you, but working on being a recovering competitive person.
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Wait – WHAT? The other people might not exist? That is awful. Now I’m somewhere between annoyed & confused.
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do you not think that if we are both in the Diamond League in Spanish, we might see each other occasionally? And sometimes you seem to move way up, and other times you’re doing a ton and not going anywhere. Hmmmm
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My spit take is in recognition of my own “mellowing”. I do not know Duolingo, and I am sure that I will never make “diamond” anything, although I do like sparkles. 🙂
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I’m afraid that my mellow is not the same as everyone else’s mellow… but it might be closer to yours. 🙂 Duolingo is a language learning app. I’m practicing Spanish!
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