we are taking the island

There’s a powerful speech by Theodore Roosevelt called Citizenship in a Republic. One part stands out—The Man in the Arena. It feels especially fitting today, on this Saturday. We’re down to a skeleton crew now. Only the true believers remain. Their faith in me pushes me harder than I’ve ever pushed myself. That part of the speech about daring greatly—it hits home. I ran the numbers yesterday. I’m betting a lot on this project.

Lately, I’ve been writing more—not because I have extra time, but because there’s so much I need to put into words. In many ways, it feels like I’m writing to my mother, who passed in 2018. I'm speaking into the infinite—writing for my future self, for my future grandkids. So they can know what it was like “back in the day.”

Today isn’t about giving advice. It’s a reminder. A reminder of the work still ahead.

I’m not just building another apartment complex. I’m giving this my all—one last time. The work is tedious. There are no detailed plans. Just constant communication with the client to guide the way. We’re five buildings into thirty-five. And the more we work, the more we uncover. I keep reminding myself of the commitments I made—on time, on budget.

This project is stretching me. Forcing me to level up. The documentation, the communication—it’s pushed me to learn new systems, new ways to use spreadsheets, even build for Power BI. More than that, it’s shown me what real loyalty and commitment look like.

I’ve used the “burn the ships” analogy before. Recently I heard someone add to it: “We are taking the island.”

Right now, I’m sitting in my truck with a pallet of concrete in the bed, driving around, rebuilding curbs and sidewalks. This is my island. I’ve used most of my capital to get here. That reserve was the ship—and it’s burned. Now there’s only one path forward:

Take the island.

We’re making a big push this weekend. There's an inspection on Monday. This is the real test.