Friday, April 16, 2010

Personal Victory

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Recently, I was talking on the phone with my mother, no doubt treating her to another one of my endless lists of "Things That Went Wrong Today". After I had exhausted myself, my list and my mother, I mentioned to her how I was desperately in need of a personal victory; something just for me that I could be proud of. I think I went on to say something about how I used to be smart and I used to "do" things and blah, blah, blah. You know, the kind of sniveling that usually makes you want to snatch the sniveler baldheaded. I should have been ashamed of myself, but I wasn't. I felt down and done wrong and I wanted to wallow in it (or waller in it, depending on where you're from).

I guess the Good Lord was listening, or maybe I was just due some good fortune. But, in any case, I do have to report that I recently entered the the Tulsa Library Adult Creative Writing Contest and won second place in the Informal Essay category. I was completely floored to find out that I had placed. In fact, it never entered my mind that I might win. My objective in entering the contest was simply to prove that I could set my mind to do something and then actually follow through. So, the exciting thing for me was to finish the essay and submit it. That was a battle won. To place second in the category was, well, the proverbial icing on the cake.

I'm not sure what this experience means for me, but in the short run, I intend to spend some more time (how???) writing. I hear that there are many publications that take submissions and, if I can get my head straight, maybe I can set some goals and actually pursue writing as either a hobby or maybe even a profession. It would certainly beat the hell out of preparing tax returns!

3 comments:

Lacey McKay said...

Well it's about time you started making money for your writing! Your blog has always been one of my favorites. You really have a way with words. In fact, I know lots of bloggers who aren't as good of a writer as you are, but their blogs are well known and they get paid by companies advertising on their blogs because they get so many hits. I'm not sure if you would want that many people reading about your personal life, but I think if you wrote more, your blog could become a well-known blog too. You have a way of making little daily things hilarious. Like the post you wrote about walking your dog. That was so funny!

Ladee Melie said...

Way to go! I've said for almost three years I'm going to enter that same contest and never did. So congrats girl!

季玉 said...

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