Participation Ribbon

To say it was brief is an understatement, but there was a period of time during my early years where I ran for sport in grade school. My performance was laughable, the kind that garners a participation ribbon. And you know what, I enjoyed that ribbon. I still remember the texture, the green color, the cheap gold lettering, and the frayed corner cuts at the bottom. It was a little victory, but it was a tiny taste of achievement.

Maybe there will come a day when the reviews will flow out like a waterfall, and I will grow bored of the tumult. And perhaps it's grotesque to fawn over oneself to the degree that you cut out a press clipping to share with others. Instead, I choose to enjoy my little victories, the stepping stones they are.