I Am Not My Ribbons

Almost everyone that reads my blog knows I'm a big fan of therapy. Sometimes I feel I need it more than other times but I consider it a very good thing for me. This past year I found a wonderful therapist that has now since moved. It is kind of a pain because now I need to find a new one. But I digress. Anyway, this therapist did a great job with me and really got to the heart of the matter instead of focusing on what I was trying to tell him what I *wanted* the heart of the matter to be. Does that make sense to anyone besides myself?

Focus.

We worked on a lot of great things but one of the days I had an "a-ha" moment. Something clicked inside of me and I laughed. I told my therapist that this explains why I love to enter contests (and WIN) and why I'm so obsessed with entering my stuff at the county and state fairs. I then was asked to say, "I am not my ribbons." It sounds kind of silly now but it was totally profound at the time and kind of sunk into my psyche. I am not my ribbons*.

After that session, I wasn't as excited to enter anything. Don't get me wrong. I was going to enter some items. It just wasn't as *important* to me as it used to be. I threw some stuff together and sent it off to be judged. I was still excited enough to head out to the state fair on opening day to see how everything fared (pun very much intended). See that blue ribbon? Not mine. It is for the pair of mittens on the left. A very worthy adversary. Mine on the right got 4th place. They didn't appreciate my picot edge, braiding, and subtle bird embroidery.
See those blue ribbons? Still not mine. See the felted ball with the "Be" on it? It is Sandy Ewald's. She got 1st (well deserved). My knitted doll got 2nd.

I'm actually glad these booties didn't place higher. These are the simplest garter stitch booties and took me an hour to make. If they would have placed 1st, I would have known the judges were whacked. Still, they were cute booties and I'm glad they got something.

I had a lot of fun looking at all of the items this year. It seems like there were a lot more entries. At least there were a lot more entries from people that I know and recognize their names. Our knitting guild was well represented and I saw at least two blue ribbons for two of them. The winner of the granddaddy of all ribbons was a member of the Omaha knitting guild. Certainly well deserved.

I'm going to the fair at least 3 more times before it ends but I don't have to go back into that building.

I am not my ribbons.

I am going to eat a corn dog, though.



*Now I'm wondering if I would be saying this if I had won all blue ribbons? Maybe I'm not so cured after all. ;) I really am trying to be more humble.

I Am Not My Ribbons

http://craftyconservative.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-am-not-my-ribbons.html