Underachiever

Today I was called an underachiever. I’ve always been as proud of this label as; misfit, outcast, nerd, dork, geek or misanthrope. You see, to me they all mean the same thing. An unwillingness to submit to the machine (or wall if you prefer Pink Floyd’s analogy) and it’s singular ability to strip humans of not only their individuality but often their soul as well. In the case of the term "underachiever", to the average everyday Joe that has succumbed to the machine, it means that an individual has achieved in life, less than their potential. It can also mean anyone that performs to less than their potential. Potential what? I always get a kick out of that. Does that mean some semi-retarded yokel has less potential then me? Why? Isn’t this just another way to discriminate? I know lots of people dumber, uglier, crude-r, slower, fatter or hairy-r than me that have achieved some cultural defined greatness. Did they over-achieve? Maybe it was their fate? Take Tiger Woods (not that he falls into the above categories) some people think he has achieved greatness. Ha! Now that is funny! Greatness? At what exactly? Don’t misunderstand, I applaud and envy any person that can make a great living at a sport or a hobby. It is the post ‘70's American dream, after all. But greatness? Tiger Woods? Great at a game, but c’mon, it is a game. How about Teddy Roosevelt or Sir Richard Burton? The average WWII vet? Were they over or under achievers? My only point in all of this is to show how silly the term "underachiever" can be. All of us make our choices. Some are shit on more than others but ultimately we still decide which directions to take. Now, I have meandered around the real point of this blog. The person whom called me an underachiever is my dear team leader Harley Garvidson. Here is a man that is a few years younger than me and actually finished his degree. He has been complaining over the past two years about not being able to progress in his career field. He is literally a half of a step (not a whole but a half) above me in the corporate ladder that is the Stardust Hotel & Casino. He is bitter, petty, frustrated and shallow. He lacks professionalism and has no clue how to deal with subordinates or build a team. He is a poor motivator and alternates between playing the parts of Eeyore and Tigger. (Yes he probably is bi-polar) Karl Bakla and myself believe he may also be a closeted homosexual as he spends too much time, A.) Trying to convince Karl and I that we are gay and B.) Is homophobic. He is also a fairly talented singer and amateur voice artist. Here comes the punch line... Now, with all this in mind, has he over-achieved or underachieved?