That is a reference, of course, to A Christmas Story.
The truth is that I have won an award....actually a couple of awards....but I didn't know about them until recently when a fellow writer emailed me and said, "Hey, did you know you won an award?"
To which I responded, "Uh, no."
First, I should say I did know that I won (along with a team of other writers) a 2015 Parenting Media Association award for a special series in our local family magazine on "Raising Boys." I was notified about that one. I quietly patted myself on the back and promptly forgot about it.
So the other two that I didn't know about until recently:
So I bring these up now because it occurred to me, after attending the writing conference this week, that I am a legitimate freelance writer.
Like, this really is a thing.
Of course that sounds stupid to probably anyone else but me.
At the conference, during our panel, I began by saying that I consider myself the least qualified of the three panelists because 1. it was accidental that I even became a freelancer and 2. I feel like I do it haphazardly. I don't "go after" jobs or strive to go anywhere beyond the little work I do.
One of the other panelists, who has what I consider a more extensive list of experience/expertise but who happens to be a male of about 24 years of age, respectfully disagreed with the experience thing and thought he qualifies in that arena.
(The third panelist is an editor-in-chief of a magazine with 30 years of experience who told a hilarious story about interviewing Geraldo Rivera, so he definitely takes the "Most Extensive Experience" category.)
Anyway, the director of the organization that sponsored the conference made the point to me that I may sell myself short, that lots of women are interested in the things I balance, and that my perspectives are valuable.
Which made me think of those awards.....
I told D about them, but I don't think I even told my mom. I certainly didn't add them to my resume (yes, I do keep one on file cause you just never know), but maybe I should.
Maybe I do need to give myself more credit?
I guess the thing that I readily acknowledge is that I think I'm pretty great, but I also know that no one else cares.
The thing is...maybe I should care a little more than I do?
The truth is that I have won an award....actually a couple of awards....but I didn't know about them until recently when a fellow writer emailed me and said, "Hey, did you know you won an award?"
To which I responded, "Uh, no."
First, I should say I did know that I won (along with a team of other writers) a 2015 Parenting Media Association award for a special series in our local family magazine on "Raising Boys." I was notified about that one. I quietly patted myself on the back and promptly forgot about it.
So the other two that I didn't know about until recently:
- 2015 Metro Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists on an article I wrote titled, "Stepping Up Her Game" (Minority & Women's Affairs).
- 2016 Metro Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists on a breast cancer supplement I co-wrote (Health Care Reporting).
So I bring these up now because it occurred to me, after attending the writing conference this week, that I am a legitimate freelance writer.
Like, this really is a thing.
Of course that sounds stupid to probably anyone else but me.
At the conference, during our panel, I began by saying that I consider myself the least qualified of the three panelists because 1. it was accidental that I even became a freelancer and 2. I feel like I do it haphazardly. I don't "go after" jobs or strive to go anywhere beyond the little work I do.
One of the other panelists, who has what I consider a more extensive list of experience/expertise but who happens to be a male of about 24 years of age, respectfully disagreed with the experience thing and thought he qualifies in that arena.
(The third panelist is an editor-in-chief of a magazine with 30 years of experience who told a hilarious story about interviewing Geraldo Rivera, so he definitely takes the "Most Extensive Experience" category.)
Anyway, the director of the organization that sponsored the conference made the point to me that I may sell myself short, that lots of women are interested in the things I balance, and that my perspectives are valuable.
Which made me think of those awards.....
I told D about them, but I don't think I even told my mom. I certainly didn't add them to my resume (yes, I do keep one on file cause you just never know), but maybe I should.
Maybe I do need to give myself more credit?
I guess the thing that I readily acknowledge is that I think I'm pretty great, but I also know that no one else cares.
The thing is...maybe I should care a little more than I do?
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