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Great topic....well, I learned that I am nowhere near where I need to be but the flip side of that is that in order to know where you're going you need to know where you are to begin with....this year, in particular, really hit me hard with the routining. I can learn individual moves really quickly but that means nothing if you can't transition those moves into other moves. As we know, filming little choppy videos with fancy flashes with that same Linkin Park music is easy....it's the HL style, the uncut routines that push artists to the next level.

....another thing that I didn't so much learn but felt was the comeradery (sp?) that is felt when you're in the middle of the tournament....it's only in the middle of competition that you feel that connection with the other guys and experience the brotherhood that we've formed in this community. I never had the illusion to win, I just wanted to push a little forward ahead, force the progression that only competition can, and feel that connection with the other competitors.

One last thing I wanted to offer up here, and this is more for the others that are a little older like me :P , this community and this artform keeps me grounded and balanced in my personal life. Work is getting increasingly harder with the economy here in the States and the fight to keep our jobs....it's easy to lose sight of one's self and begin to define your life by your achievements at work. XCM pulls me back to "me" and allows me to pull myself back into real life....it's something I can use to connect to people, entertain and play with my daughter (although that usually ends in a destroyed deck lol but worth every torn or mangled card), and remember that I have other things in life that I can do to channel creativity.

....shit, now I got all emotional...sniff sniff....