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We all left there within a year, as intended. Travis eventually landed a big-time job covering the Pittsburgh Pirates,
我們都按計劃在一年內離開了那里。特拉維斯最終找到了一份報道匹茲堡海盜的重要工作，
and he now has a New York Times bestselling sports book about baseball.
現在他已經出了一本關于棒球的《紐約時報》暢銷書。
Jeff became one of the most well-known NASCAR writers in the country, with almost 200,000 Twitter followers.
杰夫成了全國最著名的美國賽車協會作家，他有差不多200000的推特粉絲。
Now he's got his own media company that's doing quite well. In 2017, Jeff and I went to a Charlotte Knights game, and he said something about Rocky Mount that I won't forget.
現在他有了自己的媒體公司，做得很好。2017年，我和杰夫去看了一場夏洛特騎士隊的比賽，他說了一些關于洛基山的事情，我永遠不會忘記。
"I didn't appreciate it then, but honestly, when I look back, it's probably the best time I've ever had in my career."
“當時我并沒有領會到，但說實話，當我回首往事時，這可能是我職業生涯中最美好的時光。”
What is success? Buddy, I don't know. On those late nights, it was making good contact on Travis's curveball.
什么是成功？伙計，我不知道。在那些深夜，它與特拉維斯的曲線球有很好的聯系。
Now it's running a tenth of a mile farther than I did last week. Or the sound of a storm door latching shut after I install it myself.
現在它比我上星期跑的還要遠十分之一英里。或者是我自己安裝好防風門后，門被關上的聲音。
Or the morning Laura said yes. More than a year ago, I wrote a story and no readers yelled at me about it, which these days is a success.
或者勞拉答應的那天早上。一年多以前，我寫了一篇文章，沒有讀者對我大吼大叫，這篇文章現在很成功。
But nobody said anything nice either, so is it a failure? I don't know. College students ask me for advice every now and then, if you can believe it.
但也沒人說好話，所以這算是失敗嗎？我不知道。如果你相信的話，大學生們會時不時地向我尋求建議。
Maybe that's success. But last night an editor at a publication I've been dying to write for replied to a pitch with the murderous words
也許這就是成功。但昨晚，我一直渴望為之寫作的一家出版社的一名編輯對我的一篇措辭惡毒的文章做出了回應，
"This just isn't the right fit for us," and I scanned job boards for a new line of work.
“這并不適合我們，”我瀏覽了求職公告欄，尋找新的工作方向。
Maybe it's beyond work, though. In June 2018, my dad visited and made it the whole weekend without falling while transferring to his wheel-chair.
但是，或許這超越了工作的范疇。2018年6月，我父親來看望我，整個周末在往輪椅上坐時他都沒有摔倒。
That's a victory. To another person, though, success might be a senior discount on McDonald's coffee,
這是一場勝利。雖然是對另外一個人來說。成功可能是麥當勞咖啡的老人折扣，
or a night sleeping on a bench without getting wet, or the last meeting with a parole officer.
或者晚上睡在長凳上而沒有被淋濕，或者最后一次見到假釋官。
You get the point. Maybe success isn't measured in achievements,
你懂的。也許成功不是用成就來衡量的，
or "being happy with who you are," or any of the clichés in self-help books on this matter.
或者“對做自己感到快樂”，或者任何關于這個問題的勵志書籍中的陳詞濫調。
Goals and personal peace are selfish markers, and I don't mean to imply selfishness is a bad thing, not at all.
目標和個人平靜是自私的標志，我并不是在說自私是件不好的事情，完全沒有這個意思。
Selfishness is the axis of humankind, from cavemen to astronauts to saints on earth.
自私是人類的軸心，從穴居人到宇航員再到地球上的圣人。
Individual accomplishments bring community accomplishments bring worldwide accomplishments.
個人的成就帶來了社區的成就，也帶來了全世界的成就。
But all of the accomplishments in the universe may not leave you feeling successful, right? I'm rambling here, I know.
但是宇宙中所有的成就都不會讓你感到成功，對吧？我知道我在這里閑扯。
But the point is, maybe success is a smaller calculation, something more like what Jeff hinted at.
但關鍵是，也許成功是一個更小的計算，更像杰夫暗示的那樣。
Maybe success is having the wherewithal to be grateful at the precise moment you have something to be grateful for.
也許成功就是在你有值得感激的事情的那一刻，可以去感激。
Thank you for writing, old friend. Mike.
謝謝你的來信，老朋友。邁克。
