Close, But No Cigar: An Autobiography

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I consistently fall through the cracks at pretty much every step of the way in life. The only appropriate title for an biography of my life would be "Close, But No Cigar". I constantly come astonishingly close to achieving major, game-changing things and getting what I want, but fail for some unforeseeable unlikely reason. I'm good at so many things, yet not quite good enough at anything that really matters practically. I'm never adequate enough to reach my main goals, and I'm never inadequate enough to qualify for any sympathy or special help. When it comes to my (attempted) career, I'm just exceptional enough to belong in the upper echelon, but not quite exceptional enough to actually get there.

I live in the most narrow and unfortunate "virtually there" place possible. I swear, in many ways it is worse than actually being far worse off!

Yes, that is the story of our lives, at least for some of us, and your title is pretty close ... but ...

Nah, I cannot say it!

I will never write an autobiography, of course, but maybe only because I have yet to ever find my own emotion-free title.

I'd be too tempted to name an autobiography: Screw you all, I'm goin' home! But then I'm sure I'd be sued for copyright infringement by the South Park guys.

I'm sorry for the self-pity-reeking post. But seriously, this is what my life is.

I did not hear it that way, and my own life is the same. Some of the things I have tried were just bad ideas, of course, but even the good ones just never worked out ... and I truly hope none of this sounds patronizing. Like you, I have "constantly come astonishingly close" to something, but then "fail for some unforeseeable unlikely reason." I am a "jack of all trades", but master of none. So, I miss "my main goals" as well as falling short of "qualifying" for much sympathy or special help. I have (or at least used to have) much potential for running with the big dogs, but then I never really made/make it off the porch. But like you, I also just kept/keep right on trying to do/be my very best, and no matter what.