Contests and achievement

     The joy of competition is for many of us a reason to excel.  In any contest there is potential to shine as a star and win, whatever level the competition.  Some rise to the occasion, some do not try to give it their best effort and some cheat.  That has been true since the first game of horseshoes or the first spelling bee, or even the first rock toss of Bible times.
       Years ago when Kentucky adopted the KERA program for elementary and high school curriculum many people circulated an email about the fact that if we were now not announcing good grades and winners of spelling bees so as not to discourage those who did not measure up, that we should quit keeping score at ballgames and let everyone play whether they could "make" the team or not.  I was a young mother with three small children at the time and very discouraged by the effects that the implementation of the "new" method of instruction was having on my children's classrooms. 
      However, I was fortunate in that the dynamics of a family of children, not a single child, but a household of more than two children which creates an innate sense of competition, much as litters in the wild, that has children competing for attention from their elders, time in the bathroom, shotgun seat in the car, etc.  Before my children arrived at school they had already developed the I want to succeed attitude and they continued to use it despite the changing encouragement levels in the school system.  They remained at the top of their class through three school changes and an ever changing variety of testing formats and grade reporting.
     The satisfaction of getting there first, doing it better or even best should be encouraged at a young age.  It is hard to encourage when there is an only child with two sets of grandparents and two parents who "help" him/her do everything, see that they are first, let them win to make them feel good etc. Regardless of the income level, as the number of children in a family have gone down, the survival instinct to succeed appears to have diminished as well.
    Oddly enough, I said all that to share a contest story that is both humorous and inspiring.
In a recent bookmark contest to honor National Library Week, my library has received from grown men all of those same traits of contestants--- from the earnest desire to succeed, to the I don't care but I am turning something in, to the bottom of the barrel which is cheating when the top prize is a book and a pizza.
   In a rectangle on an entry form designed to be one fourth of an 8 1/2 x 11 page, there is space to write one word, one sentence or one phrase that is The Power of Inspiring Words.  From outstanding calligraphy, to sloppy handwriting with marked out letters, to inked in letters in relief, the talent pool is amazing.  Inspiring words, heartfelt emotions, scripture, buzzwords, and even really cute bookmark type library slogans were entered.  And, to top it off, someone wanted to compete with their own self for a prize, by trying to enter twice using someone else's name.  It boggles the mind why anyone would want to cheat a contest about Inspiring Words. 
    As my first supervisor at GRCC told me, remember where you are.  The inmates are not here because they routinely make good decisions.
   Cheater was caught and two entries disqualified but I am glad I do not have to judge, because of the 62 remaining entries, there are at least 10 first place efforts and one will have to be chosen...There are 3 places and 10 honorable mentions to receive prizes which will help, but the decision on rankings will still be very difficult.  There will be a focus on not just how good the words are but the lasting effect promoting the top choice will have on the greatest number of people and how it conveys the goal of the contest.  It cannot be just good, the winner will need to be great!
  
  

Thomas Jefferson's Bible

Thomas Jefferson was so enthralled with the life of Jesus Christ that he sifted through the documentation available in  his time and composed a "Bible" limited to Jesus. 
In a little twist of fate a library patron had requested the book, so I had it come across my desk without even thinking about using it for research, but once again finding proof that our founding fathers were not only Christians but knowledgeable Christians whose basis for religious freedom was not about freedom from religion but freedom to worship God without the tyranny of government to tell them how.  Government cannot prevent Christians from being Christians.  It is not meant to sanction any other religion either.  Simply put - when we elect Christian leaders again, we will have a Christian nation again as it was in the beginning. Vote carefully, not on one issue or for monetary gain, but on the strength of character of the candidate.  God please bless America, again!

Spring and time

Daylight savings time sprang forward along with more activities for me to do, so that even at 10 pm at night I am not getting in regular reading or writing time.  Time to make an appointment for myself on the calendar.
Tiny steps build but they don't build if they get pushed aside by "stuff".  I need to work harder at prioritizing the good stuff, necessary stuff and then just stuff.  Hope you are doing that better than I.  Have a great weekend.