The value of being the weakest link

I'm really excited about my new writing group. I've got Mellissa Black, who has had several stories published now in various anthologies, David Chappell, who has been my friend and GM for years, William S. Childress, who has published his own novel Stygian Shores (available on Amazon and the wilds of Rhode Island), Dave McKeean, who I've been a reader for before on a novel, and Mike Ray, publisher of Redstone Magazine and writer of several short stories that are scattered across the Multiverse. I am truly the weakest link here. And I couldn't be happier.

When I was in high school I managed to get on the football team. Despite being a farm boy I wasn't nearly the strongest or the best player we had. I was slow, weak and honestly lazy. I was used to doing things with my head. But when I went into weight training I got put in with the strongest kids, Chad Strickland and  Eric Thompson. I know, I know, train wreck right? Wrong. They pushed me and didn't let me give up. Every time I thought I was at the wall, when I wasn't looking they'd slip a bit more weight on the bar or lie about how many reps I'd done to make sure I burned every bit of potential I had out of me. My Senior year I won the award for Weightlifting and was one of the strongest people in the school. And I owe it to those two guys.

I think you see where I'm going with this. That or I've started to attract the shiny vampire crowd.

I know these guys are going to push me. Mel is going to kick my backside everytime I make an excuse about not having time until I'm back at the computer. Dave C is going catch me everytime I'm on the computer playing a game instead of writing and just remind me of what I SHOULD be doing. Mike is going to point out when I get lazy in my writing and don't keep it moving. William (Scotty from here on out) has a belief in me that I don't have personally (I wonder how much he'll sell it for. I have just the place on my shelf for it.) And Dave M isn't afraid not to go after the story because we are friends. If I could build an evil Cabal to help me take over the world these would probably be the people I assassinated first because they know my weaknesses. Or recruit them.
Anyway, if you ever have to go to war, or write, these are the kinds of people you want on your side.
Good things are coming.