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I Don’t Have to Be Great Right Now
On writing, imposter syndrome, and the slap heard around the world
Last year, Will Smith slapped the hell out of Chris Rock at what will be remembered as the greatest Academy Awards Show of all time. I remember that night vividly. It was Sunday, March 27th and my family just returned home from a week-long escape to Grenada. The trip was filled with sun, family, and insurance claims because I, apparently, can’t drive on the left side of the road. However, that’s a story for another time. What’s important is that I didn’t even see the slap live. Flight delays, long airport lines, and a cab driver that insisted on tapping the brakes every few seconds, rather than coming to a complete stop, had us nauseous and exhaustedly jiggling the keys to our apartment far later than expected. My wife and I dropped our bags near the doorway, showered, and sank into the bed, as it seductively whispered “I missed you.”
I awoke an hour later to pee because at the ripe old age of 33, my bladder held water like an off-brand paper towel. Then, I did what every millennial does when wondering if they should go back to sleep; I checked Instagram. To my dismay, with every flick of my thumb, I relived what seemed to be a highly orchestrated sketch. Except, it was very real. Will Smith slapped the hell out of Chris Rock and I felt it. Not the…
