Raskolnikov is not much of a lay and I tell him so.

"Sorry," he says.

"Now that's exactly what I mean. Don't apologize for what you are."

"Okay."

* * *

It is best to know your weaknesses. The conventional would tell you to mark your weaknesses so you can avoid or mask them. I say you ought to embrace them.

* * *

"The whole time, it was like you were apologizing me to death. You're a smart kid, though. I'd rank you as about number 4 or 5 as far as intellectual conversations go. And that's out of a sample of 368, so you ought to be proud."

"Uh...thanks. So, its almost 6. You wanna go get dinner or something."

"Absolutely not. Here are your pants. Have a nice life."

* * *

I think it is just as important to know your strengths. Dirty Harry didn't know the first thing about strengths and weaknesses. Yet he was writing some story about accidental situations and the integrity of man. That first afternoon, after I'd looked over his story and looked over his story, I asked him,

"What makes you think you can write a damn thing about integrity when you don't know shit about your own shit."

"My shit?"

"Yeah. Your shit. Your weaknesses."

"Pssh. I don't have any."

He laughed.

"Sure you do. First off, you kiss too hard. Second..."

"Maybe for you. I haven't had any complaints before..."

"Don't interrupt me. Nobody does that. So, first, you kiss too hard. For me. I count, and that's a weakness. Second, your writing could be a lot better. Third, you talk..."

"Hey, now. My writing is better than yours."

He interrupted me again. Nobody does that. I was dumbfounded. And totally turned on.