Awards Show Jitters

RubyA post about awards?  Well, we’ve done these posts before, so why should I have jitters?

These awards are something quite different from the lovely honors given to us by our fellow bloggers in the past.  These are actually nominations for the 2012 WEGO Health Activist Awards.  After being nominated, we have to go through the semifinals and finals before a winner is chosen.  If we make it to those rounds, that is.

wh_haaward2012-logo-11-resized-600

Enter Ruby’s jitters.

Wait:  Before my jitters take over, thank you so, so much to whoever nominated us for these awards!  The nominations all came from fellow bloggers, I’m pretty sure (though I don’t know all the individuals), and I really feel so humbled and gratified that you felt we deserved these nominations.

Now back to my jitters.

Yesterday morning I filled out three surveys: one for each category in which we’ve been nominated.  We’ve had our name submitted for “2012 Rookie of the Year”, “2012 Best in Show: Twitter”, and “2012 Best Ensemble Cast” (this is the award I think is tailor-made for Canvas).  These surveys were meant to take no more than 1-2 minutes.  They included fields for things like the blog URL, our facebook page, and our Twitter handle.

The surveys took me about 20-30 minutes each.

Why?  Because there was one more little box, and this one was for any additional relevant information about our nomination.

Deep breath.  Big sigh.  Oh Lord.

Now, let me make it known that these surveys are not even compulsory for winning.  But I’m going to lay it out straight for everyone in a way I usually don’t, at least not here.

We have built something very special and amazing with this site.  There is nothing else like it that I have ever seen, and I am so incredibly proud of each and every person who takes their time and contributes, and continually helps us achieve the high standard that readers have come to expect from us.

So, since I am the one who received the emails that led to the surveys (and because they were meant to be completed in four days, so I couldn’t really solicit for help from my co-authors), that last box on each survey had me taking some long pauses, thinking, rewriting, and obviously stressing way more than was ever the intent of the lovely people at WEGO.  Because I wasn’t talking about my blog, I was talking about our blog.  And I wasn’t discussing my contributions, I was discussing the contributions of every single individual author involved in this project, and how all of them have come together to make this site what it is.

If I’d had a month and 10,000 words, I could probably have written something that I would have been able to walk away with feeling good.  But it was just a little box, and what I did write was likely a bit more than they expected anyway.

It isn’t like I feel I screwed something up.  Okay, on the “Rookie of the Year” I did forget to let them know that I was the one writing for our group, but oh well, right?  What it comes down to is me hoping to have somehow given each of our authors their due, in one short paragraph (or three).  In truth, I know that can’t really be done, but I feel like I should somehow be able to circumvent the parameters of reality here (and right now I’m wondering if I need to maybe look at the tests on perfectionism in this post by DeeDee).

If we don’t move on even to the semifinals in any of the three categories, that’s okay.  Honestly, I would love to see us get something like “Best Ensemble Cast”, not just because everyone here is so amazing, but it would probably get us some more exposure.

In my heart, though, I know what we’ve got here, and I know how amazing we are — each of us on an individual level, and what we come together and make in a group.

We’re something pretty special, and being a part of this project is much more gratifying than any award could ever be.

© Ruby Tuesday and A Canvas Of The Minds 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Ruby Tuesday and A Canvas Of The Minds with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Advertisement

26 thoughts on “Awards Show Jitters

  1. I say you’re all fabulous even if you don’t win this…well you’re all winners in my eyes 🙂 I’m sure you did a great job filling out the forms too! xx

  2. Great job, Ruby. I would have had a heck of a time doing that! I only filled out one survey and probably goofed that one up. Good luck to Canvas! Everyone click on the endorse button on the top left corner.

    • Alice, you’re lovely! I hope you win and we win as a group, too. And thanks for supporting us on your blog, and mentioning the button. Though I’m not actually sure what it does, ultimately, it certainly can’t hurt! 😉

  3. You’re funny like Bugs Bunny! I’m sure you’ll do fine, and most improtantly, regardless of the outcome, you have a blog that is informatve, caring, sensitive and touching lives. What else matters? But isn’t it fun to be this excited about something you’ve created? It must be like watching your son or daughter at their first recital God Bless!

    • John, you’re just wonderful! Getting words like yours, well it means more to me than any “award”. It is kind of like watching a child grow and take their first steps out into the big, scary world without being able to protect them anymore (speaking of, I have a sprite in a spelling bee on Thursday. . .). I feel excited and proud and nervous all at the same time. Thanks so much for your continual support of us as we go out and face the world more and more! 🙂

  4. Oh, I had such a hard time filling out that form for my one nomination (best kept secret, I think? Ironic after the Freshly Pressing!) I can’t even imagine doing it for Canvas – and not only once, but three times! I’m sure you did us proud. 🙂

    • Thanks, DeeDee! Apparently everyone discovered your value at the same time! And about time, too. I hope I did right by everyone, but I did my best and done is done. I hope you win yours, too! 🙂

  5. Congratulations! How wonderful that your collective work is being acknowledged and appreciated! I sympathize completely in getting the survey filled out, Ruby. When it comes to any forms, I’m completely inept. Name? What do they want? What does that mean? And on it goes like that…Putting this blog together, you’ve already won, dear one! xoxoM

    • Margarita, you are such a lovely support and cheerleader, you warm my heart! I did fret about all the possible spaces for more URLs and different pages and accounts. Really it was that last box that vexed me most. I probably went on a little more than they expected, but I’m so proud of this site and everyone involved. And you’re absolutely right, we’ve won just by doing what we’re doing here!

Comments are closed.