COMPETITION

by Jo Robertson


Competition is a healthy enterprise, right?

An individual learns to improve his or her skills, perform under pressure, and experience satisfaction from doing their best, whether it's as a performing artist, an athlete, or a writer.

Last winter much of the world watched the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Really, you have to admire the sheer skill and discipline that brings these competitors to this point in their careers.

Might I add the sheer perserverance? The Olympics is not the place for the faint of heart or the frail of determination. Nor is the world of writing.


Nor of competitive singing! Recently ten-year-old Corinna participated in her first public competitive performance. The venue was a wide, disconcerting area in a mall.She sang "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog, and I am not at all biased when I claim that her rendition was flawless -- perfect pitch, calm exterior, sassy charm.

She was perfect.

Everything else was not.

The microphone's sound cut out. Feedback screeched through the air. The mall's massive vaulted ceilings sucked up the volume like the last gasping breaths of a dying smoker.

Nina was the first performer of the day, and by the time the second singer's turn came, the acoustical kinks had been worked out. But alas, too late for her.

Everyone always says the three most important traits in attaining your goals are

perseverance

perseverance

perseverance.

She was the epitome of grace under pressure. She never faltered in her composure or her control. When the judges instructed her to begin again, she did so with stunning aplomb.

She was a trooper.

And she didn't cry until she reached the car to go home.

By the way, since I wrote this blog, Corinna semi-finalled in her age group, the only one to do so!

Then she went on to take third place in the finals! You can see her perform at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRHyWRhRqsI

What about you? What's been your experience with competition?

Have you ever geared up for an event, worked your heart out, and had everything possible go wrong? How did you handle it? If you're a writer, how do you handle the friendly competition of the industry?


Did you ever compete in something and win? How was that important to you? Did you lose? How did you feel?Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/competition
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Too Much Competition!

by Caren Crane

When my older daughter was about 3, I picked her up from daycare one day and found her in a frowny mood. This daughter has always, since birth, been moody and prone to deep thinking, so her 3-year-old frowning didn't concern me overmuch. I did, however, ask what was wrong. She pulled the finger she was sucking out of her mouth and said (very clearly), "There's too much competition."

Yes, friends, my preschooler had figured it all out. There is too much competition in the world. Some people love it, some hate it. Daughter dear despises it. Now that she is a sophomore in high school, she still avoids contests and competitions like the plague. She had to take the PSAT Wednesday and was in a twist about it Tuesday night.

On the other hand, my younger daughter stayed up late Tuesday night baking cookies until almost 11 o'clock. We let her do this on a school night because...she had to finish baking her entries for the NC State Fair baking competition. The exhibitors had to turn in their entries Wednesday morning. Her cookies turned out great and she is likely to place this year. Again. Like she has the two other years she competed. This daughter thrives on competition and the chance to let her talents shine.

As you will note from the sidebar, many of us Banditas have a competitive streak. We love (and hate) writing contests. Many of us compete in other areas, too. We have Banditas who have played instruments, played sports, competed in pageants and baked competitively. I'm sure there are other contests we have pursued in our lives and not yet discussed. What drives us to compete? Why haven't we decided there is "too much competition"?

For me, writing contests are a way to measure where my writing stacks up in comparison to other writers. I am not published, so I can't point to sales numbers or fan letters. Writing contests, flawed as they are, are a real chance for validation of the most important work I do. Contest finals also give me a bit of a boost - an impetus to keep going when things are hard and my stamina wears thin.

So, are you competitive or do you, like my older daughter, think there's "too much competition"? What sorts of contests have you undertaken? Any big wins or shows you would care to share?Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/competition
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