Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is exactly one month older than me. Born December 29, 1973. And he is the architect of the Red Sox team that came back from 0-3 against the Yankees in the ALCS and swept the Cardinals in the World Series. 8 straight wins against the teams with the best record in the American League and all of baseball, respectively.

And he’s exactly one month older than me.

Am I making that kind of impact in my world? At Elon? At Brookwood? At home?

The centerpiece of Theo’s work this year was the July 31 trade that sent Nomar Garciaparra away for, essentially, Orlando Cabrera and Dave Roberts. That’s the kind of move that requires stones the size of Saturn.

When was the last time I made a move that bold? Epstein made moves that no other GM would have the cajones to make, and it worked out brilliantly (it also could have blown up in his face and cost him his credibility if not his job). When was the last time I took such a risk?

Do I want to be ordinary? Or do I want to be, like Theo, extraordinary.

I know the answer.