Carolina Confidential

It’s hard to measure almost; cause almost doesn’t count. ~Dray Orion

They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
But “almost”—that’s a different beast.

Almost is dirty. It’s frustrating. It’s the bruise you keep pressing just to remind yourself you were in the fight.
Most people write it off. No win? Doesn’t matter.
But almost is where I’ve bled the most.

Almost is standing in the kitchen at midnight, trying that recipe for the fifth damn time because you know you can get it right.
It’s the bike crash where you limp away, knees torn up, already thinking about the next ride.
It’s the audition you didn’t nail—but you left the room knowing you did better than last time.

Almost isn’t pretty.
It doesn’t make for a good headline.
But it’s where you learn what you’re made of.

My life is littered with almosts.
Almost got the job.
Almost pulled it off.
Almost made it out clean.
And every one of them taught me something the “wins” never could.

Almost teaches you how to hold your ground when the ground is shaking.
How to keep throwing punches when you’re already winded.
How to take the loss and still keep your damn head up.

Here’s the truth—you don’t get to the finish line without crawling over a mountain of almosts.
They’re the reps. The practice rounds. The late nights where no one’s watching and no one’s clapping.
They’re the line between quitting and becoming dangerous.

So here’s to the almosts—the heartbreaks, the close calls, the days you missed it by an inch.
The ones that made you hungrier.
The ones that hardened your edges.
The ones that proved you could take the hit and still show up the next day swinging.

Almost means you were in the ring.
And sometimes, that’s worth more than the win.

But that’s just my opinion.

Until next time,
Stay safe. Make good choices. And as always, stay kinky My friends.

~Dray Orion