For over a month, I'd been dreading to play that one game that could bring me over to 4kyu. Each time a buddy on IGS ask me about it, I would say, "I'm still preparing for it." I guess... because I'm so close to reaching the next rank, I fear the draw of losing another game. Last week, an IGS buddy asks, "Have you played that game, yet?" Again, I say, "I'm still preparing for it." He then asks me a question totally unrelated to Go. "Have you ever saw 'The 40-year-old Virgin'?" I have. Just when I was asking why, he said to me, "Well... you're putting 4kyu on the pedestal." I saw 'The 40-year-old Virgin' and I heard a similar phrase from the movie. But I have no idea what it means. So I looked it up. "One who puts "pussy on a pedestal" is usualy a male who treats women, sex, and pussy as unattainable godly forces, when in reality they are God's greatest gift." To rephrase the line in terms of Go, "putting 4kyu on the pedestal", my buddy is saying I'm treating 4kyu as unattainable. Well... I certainly didn't think 4kyu is unattainable. So... as provoked by this IGS buddy of mine, I played a game and won. During the game, the fact that it's the one game I needed to win to get to 4kyu never crossed my mind. At the end of the game, I didn't even remember that I've attained that one win needed for 4kyu until a pop-up notice informed me that my rank has been promoted. The game was a breeze. Rank didn't matter when you're mind is only focused on the game. I can only hope the following games will be just as much of a breeze. | 
