9 years I've been here. NINE YEARS. .. n i n e y e a r s ..
That's like having a baby. A tiny little baby that grows into a NINE YEAR OLD CHILD. Double that and you've got an 18-year-old adult! You could commit a very serious, horrific offence and be locked up for less than 9 years. In fact, you could get a 15 year stretch and be let out in 9. Nine years is just one less than a frigging decade for goodness sake.
And yet here I am, nine years later on Xpert Eleven celebrating that silly anniversary of time since I began with my beloved Borgis. I still call it my beloved Borgis, like that dear old relative you don't want to quite let go of despite wanting to leave your childhood surroundings and go into the world on your own two feet and get away as far as possible. Not in a negative sort of way, but an adventure sort of way. I'm babbling.
My point is nine years! When I reached seven years during my most active time on the site, I always looked ahead to hitting a decade like it would be the ultimate achievement (as opposed to actually winning anything). And then things didn't pan out as I'd expected.
My job became more stressful and my available time for the site became less and less. My eagerness and willingness to write press releases, to create stories and drama, was becoming less and less. It came to a point where I no longer wanted my 'job' at the Xpert Daily. I resigned and left with a tear in my eye as no fanfare followed. After spending a few years as a reporter I'm not sure if I was expecting a golden pencil or a silly clock as a goodbye present, but it just left this terrible void in me. However, the biggest shock was that the void only lasted a couple of days.
I didn't want to leave Xpert Eleven completely but I realised that I could and life would go on. Still, I continued on with my teams, mainly my beloved Borgis. I no longer wrote press releases and was happy to pop online to pick teams and set tactics and then come back the next day to see my results.
And I'm sure that would have continued into my tenth year if I hadn't bit the bullet and finally decided to do something with my life.
You see the funny thing is, I started as manager of Borgis FC in May 2008, just four months before my 'real' job started at Boots The Chemists. The two have always come in hand in hand, despite Xpert Eleven being my 'dirty little secret' if you will.
It's not that I hate my 'real' job, it's just that it's not something that I ever wanted. I was 17, 'taking a year out before uni' (which obviously never arrived) and starting a part-time job. NINE YEARS LATER and I'm still here, sound familiar? Yeah okay, I've worked my way up to assistant store manager, but it's still not the career path I wanted. And after years of relentless torture I have now finally decided to do something about it. I am going to quit my job and head for the hills. My one-way ticket to Australia is booked, my working holiday visa is sorted and my head is cleared finally. I am so excited. I plan on doing two years at least, then possibly heading to New Zealand, who knows? And that's what excites me the most: the unknown.
But sadly, the end of my 9 years in my real job will also signal the end of 9 years at my beloved Borgis FC. I will be galavanting to the other side of the world so unfortunately Borgis will have to stay here (I get that makes no sense, but stick with me). And so my time on Xpert Eleven will finally come to an end. My time with Borgis FC, my one and only official team, will come to an end. I can feel the tears starting just writing that sentence.
And for you cynical people out there reading this right now (wait, what, someone is reading this? What are you doing? Stand down! Call for help!) for you readers thinking, "9 years and you achieved nothing on this game, what a waste of time!" please see my seven year anniversary presser for my thoughts on my 'career'.
As for now, I decided that I have one more season in me before I set off on my travels in November. It would have been perfect to leave the club this week if we'd won our final game of the season to win the league and win promotion back to Division 3. However, a 0-0 draw meant our 8-game winning streak ended and we slipped into 3rd and missed out big time. However, I suppose that gives me one more thing to fight for before I finally do leave my beloved Borgis.
For the people still here, cherish it. For my friends and foes, wherever you may be now, fight on. Fight, fight though your life depends on it. Because it does. We are not entitled to life, only death. You never know when your day-to-day can come to an abrupt end. And love more. Hate gets you nowhere. Love more. Love my Borgis when I'm gone. Peace.
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