Do awards matter?

The only award I worry about is the one that goes into my bank account every other Friday.

 

But if you pawned an APSE plaque would it be worth more than what gets put in the bank account

 

Yes, on this note, I was honored by our state's wrestling organization several years back and that one meant more than any of the others. A token of appreciation for paying attention to their sport, and you could tell the process was important to those involved.

 

I haven't read the whole thread, so I don't know what everybody else has said, but I wanted to give my take on why the awards matter to me. As the sports editor of a small-staffed Big 12 daily (that narrows it down) whose paycheck is abominably low, the way I look at it, I better have something tangible to show for my efforts.

Yes, I've had people tell me I do a good job, though far too few of them have been my bosses, who, themselves, likely also feel they make too little money and have their own worries (gee, how many of us are appreciated mostly in the sense that we're not a headache, as opposed to actually being accomplished at the craft?). And yes, I sometimes please myself and think, absolutely, I'm good at this.

I think I do this job because A) I'm good at it and it's important to me I be good at what I do and B) the actual job part of it I like: being given the opportunity to capture really meaningful moments in time; writing something that really connects with people; having a voice in the fray.

I hate this job for how little it pays, how little appreciation is shown, and the nights and weekends that keep me away from the people I love. Though I like to think I've made my peace with it.

But picking up the hardware — I have picked up plenty; like I said, it matters — really helps.

If I'm going to beat my head against the wall, a positive judgment from my peers with a trophy to go with it, makes it easier to jump into my very small and inexpensive car, before getting home after midnight and walking through the door of my very small and inexpensive apartment.

That's my story.