• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Baseball ’19
  • Day Zero 3
  • Earl
  • My list
  • Photo Blogging Challenge

A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

30 Days of Writing: A sense of accomplishment (11/30)

June 11, 2012

The corrected award... the full story is below!

This post is written in conjunction with the 30 Days of Writing, a blog challenge devised by Nicky and Mike at “We Work For Cheese.” I’ll be participating throughout the month of June. If interested, you can see my post with the details of the challenge. 

Please note that some of these posts will be serious, some will be normal, and some will be an attempt at humor. This one has a little of everything! 

I’ve always taken a light-hearted look at awards in writing.

Are they cool? Absolutely.

Is it an honor to win them? Without a doubt.

But do I get all filled with ego and craziness when something like that happens? No.

During my time as a sports writer, I can say there are a lot of moments I was proud of or that I look back with fond thoughts about. The same can be said for the stories I wrote during those times. Sometimes the stories I thought were great, others didn’t. On the flip, there were times I thought I bombed a story and people raved about it.

The last award I won -- a first-place for columns. A few months later, my position was cut.

Go figure.

Either way, I was never perfect. I had errors, just like everyone else. Sometimes the facts got mixed up or something else. There were a couple big errors that got me in some hot water.

But in the newspaper business, you have to put it behind you. I always had a hard time with that. So much so that there were times when my editor used to have to tell me to forget about things and move on.

I still pushed for perfection.

Over the course of my seven years at my last newspaper, I was lucky enough to win some awards. Six in total — five solo and one as a department. Though I am extremely proud of all the awards, I also realize they are subjective. And by that, I mean that I was fortunate that the person or people who read my stories and judged the categories I was in, liked my stuff.

If not, I would have been on the outside looking in.

I remember working in the public relations office as a student assistant during my college days. The head honcho had several plaques on his wall — awards he won when he was in the newspaper industry. I always looked at them in awe. One thing I was sure of — winning these awards are not easy. So, as a younger writer, I wondered if I’d ever have the chance to have some hardware to take home.

I remember the first one. I actually got a text from a friend who worked at another paper in a different state. It was a national award — the Associated Press Sports Editors  — and I had received an honorable mention award for a game story I did.

It was 2005 and I was stoked for it. I had really liked the story, too, so that made it even better.  What a feeling to know I had won something, if even just an honorable mention.

But, I also looked at it with perspective. I knew it was subjective. I knew it was cool, but it has to humble you as well. I thought it would look good on the ol’ resume, and, it would be something I could hang on the wall.

In 2006, it seemed like a banner year for me. I received two awards. The first was an honorable mention from the New York Associated Press for a story about a father and a son who were taking similar paths in high school basketball, many years apart.

The second was shocking because it came soon after our paper was purchased by a new company and I received the 2006 CNHI Sports Writer of the Year award. This award, however, comes with an interesting, if not funny, story.

First, it was shocking that I won. To that credit, it was also my first first-place award, so that made it even cooler. My question became — do I get a plaque? The other awards I had won came in cardboard frames, so I was hoping for something with substance this time.

And, it did come as a plaque. A really nice one. (It also came with a check, which was nice as well).

When the awards came, it was during a tough time in my world. It was the summer of 2007 and my father was losing his battle with cancer. He was still with it, at the time, for the most part, so the little things made him smile. I remember he was in the hospital when I got the plaque. The next day, I went to visit him and I showed him the plaque.

Note that this was the first plaque they sent me:

There is one glaring difference between this one and the one at top.

My father, despite being half-drugged up and all noticed the problem right away.

“They spelled your name wrong.”

Sure did.

There’s something ironic about that, don’t you think? A newspaper company, giving an award, misspells a name. Of one of their employees. Seriously. I can’t make this up.

They did right the mistake with a new plaque. I also got to keep them both. One day, I plan on having them hang side-by-side to show that people should always check the spelling of things, especially names!

Unfortunately, my father never got to see the corrected version. But that didn’t take away the pride of him knowing I had won and him seeing a plaque.

I won three more awards following that CNHI one — two firsts and a second. One of the firsts was shared with the whole department for sports coverage (in 2009), something I think the three of us were extremely proud of for what we tried to do. We had become one hell of a department over the years. That same year, I took second place in the NY AP awards for a first-person account where I spent a day on an area “chain gang.”

The last one I won also happened to be a first-place one, this time for sports column writing. I had to submit three columns (1, 2, 3) for this contest and I was thrilled when the results were announced.

Soon after, my position was cut and I joined the growing ranks of the unemployed.

Still, it didn’t take away the sense of accomplishment. Though I realize if different people had read those stories, I might not have won anything. That’s why it’s worth staying humble. Nothing is guaranteed in an industry like that. But in the end, nobody can take ’em away from me. And I still smile when I see the awards or think about them.

Maybe one day, there will be more. Maybe not. Heck, maybe I’ll find a way to get one for this blog. But if I don’t, I’ll know I’ve been to the top. That’s why I applaud any time somebody I know wins a professional award. I know the feeling of accomplishment and am glad others get to feel it as well.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: 30 Days of Writing, My world Tagged With: 30 days of writing, 30 days of writing challenge, accomplishment, awards, newspaper awards, newspaper writing, sense of accomplishment, we work for cheese challenge, we work for cheese.

16 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. nonamedufus says

    June 11, 2012

    Great story, P.J. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being recognized by a group of your peers. Well done. And I’m happy you were able to share the award in question with your Dad. Must have been a great moment.
    nonamedufus recently posted..30 Days of Writing – #11 – A Sense of AccomplishmentMy Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      Thankfully, he had seen one or two other awards, too, but this was a fun one. Especially being he noticed the name error. 😉

      Reply
  2. Babs - Beetle says

    June 11, 2012

    It is good to get recognition for a job well done. I bet your dad was as proud as can be of you 🙂
    Babs – Beetle recently posted..A sense of accomplishmentMy Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      I definitely appreciated being recognized, I just tried to keep it in perspective! 😀

      Reply
  3. Linda Medrano says

    June 11, 2012

    I think being acknowledged in your field is pretty darn special! I don’t think they hand those out like prizes in the cracker jacks boxes. You work hard and do great work and somebody recognizes it! Good for you!
    Linda Medrano recently posted..A Sense Of Accomplishment – Day 11My Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      I won’t disagree that it’s special. And they don’t hand them out to anybody. I had to do something right. But, I still try and be humble! 😀

      Reply
  4. Michael D'Agostino says

    June 11, 2012

    I wish I could be that humble about it. If I get something that tells people that I’m better than others at this thing I do, I can’t help but think things like “I’m bloody awesome!” or “Finally!” I try not to, but I tend to just fall into that pattern.
    Michael D’Agostino recently posted..The Game of ThronesMy Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      I don’t know where being humble came from with the awards, but maybe it was more keeping it in perspective. I do smile about the awards and am extremely proud!

      Reply
  5. Nicky says

    June 11, 2012

    Those are some pretty impressive awards, P.J.! I’m sure your dad must have been really proud of you. As for blog awards, well if it makes you feel any better, I award you 250 points for this post. 🙂
    Nicky recently posted..Accept It For What It IsMy Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      Thanks! I could have handled like 1,000 points for this post though. 😉

      Reply
  6. mike says

    June 11, 2012

    Those are definitely some awards to be proud of. Love the fact that you have the two awards as a comparison too!

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      Thanks, Mike. And yeah, being able to keep both the plaques make it fun to have.

      Reply
  7. Nicki says

    June 11, 2012

    This is so awesome! Congratulations on all of them but especially for the one that your dad got to see (even if it was misspelled)! I often wish that my mom could have been alive when I (finally) got my Bachelor’s Degree. So glad your dad was there!!
    Nicki recently posted..And I’d Like To Thank…My Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      It definitely made it fun to show him the plaque and let him see it.

      Reply
  8. Katherine says

    June 11, 2012

    This one really got my, as my father died of cancer too. Very VERY touching. For reasons you probably didn’t expect.
    Katherine recently posted..A Sense of AccomplishmentMy Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      June 12, 2012

      I hope it at least made to remember some positive things. Whenever I remember my dad, I always try and keep it positive, even when he was sick.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to P.J. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Welcome to A 'lil HooHaa!

This is a personal website covering many topics! We host a monthly photo blogging challenge, and then every January hold a fun writing challenge.

Thank you for stopping by and hope this becomes a stop for you!

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Follow

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,231 other subscribers

Instagram

hoohaa29

Writer who loves images just as much as words! In search of perfectly poured pints of Guinness and great hot dogs. Find me on twitter @softball29.

Instagram post 2188879986621297983_11153691 Today was a good day to start planning on this bucket list trip. Hoping in September. Saving started and now ... trying to plot and price. #bucketlist #iceland #travel #trip #dreamtrip
Instagram post 2181090030313960671_11153691 Finally had the chance to get to #Quinnipiac and see a game in the newer arena. When I was there, still at the Northford Ice Pavilion! #hockey #ncaahockey
Instagram post 2155460733155335802_11153691 Awesome pen by @walltowncraftworks! Very cool to have this pen and the only one! Thank you! #pen #foubtainpen #ink #walltowncraftworks #writing
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Twitter

P.J.Follow

Addicted to cold-cheese pizza and perfectly poured pints of Guinness. Also, always in search of the perfect hot dog. I like following interesting people.

P.J.
softball29P.J.@softball29·
5 Dec

New blog post: Photo Blogging Challenge: December 2019’s theme is … #PhotoBloggingChallenge #PhotoBlogChal #Photography #Challenge https://hoohaa.com/?p=14495

Reply on Twitter 1202576995005214720Retweet on Twitter 1202576995005214720Like on Twitter 1202576995005214720Twitter 1202576995005214720
softball29P.J.@softball29·
1 Dec

New blog post: Photo Blogging Challenge (October 2019): Whatcha eatin’? #PhotoBlogChal #PhotoBloggingChallenge #Photography #Food https://hoohaa.com/?p=14484

Reply on Twitter 1201153663089164296Retweet on Twitter 1201153663089164296Like on Twitter 1201153663089164296Twitter 1201153663089164296
Retweet on TwitterP.J. Retweeted
NYIslandersNew York Islanders@NYIslanders·
28 Nov

From our #Isles family to yours, happy Thanksgiving! 😊

Reply on Twitter 1200034838096547841Retweet on Twitter 1200034838096547841101Like on Twitter 1200034838096547841811Twitter 1200034838096547841
Load More...

Archives

Categories

Calendar

December 2019
S M T W T F S
« Nov    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Search The Site

Site Information

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

A 'lil HooHaa © 2019 · Created By Coded Creative

Copyright © 2019 · Ava Mae on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in