Being a Winner

I actually learned of something else I won, after writing the last entry about winning. This one is an inaugural scholarship award from the Public Interest group at school. Before this grand season of winning is too far behind me, I just want to meditate on it for awhile. I think these are the first awards I have won. I have won elections and other good things have happened for sure... but oftentimes forms and applications leave space for "awards" and I've never had anything to put. In high school there was this strange program where a student was selected and given a book "from" a fancy-pants women's college (also strange since I don't think too many people from SW went to these places.) So, like, Kristina won, I think, the Mount Holyoke book? For being a kick-ass girl who was good at English, or something like that. I didn't get one of those. And Senior Superlatives? Didn't even get mentioned in those. And even though I was co-Senior Class President, I sat in an auditorium and watched my co- get all of the awards... and I didn't get one. This isn't just a pity-party for pity-party's sake, it's to make the point that after working my patootie off for the past year and a half in school, out of school and in ways that carry no financial reward... it's strange to be recognized, awarded, rewarded.