BRAGGADOCIO

I'm not usually one to brag, but....

I won a really cool award at work!

It came with a glass trophy and fabulous cash prizes.

Every time people ask me what I got the award for, I am tempted to be a smartass and say "because I am just that cool!"

Truthfully, it was for an idea I implemented last year that inspired the staff at my facility to take extra special care of their animals. Around Christmastime last year, I visited another facility to learn from what they were doing, but they were so excited about my idea that we spent a good deal of time talking about that instead. They took my idea and ran with it, creating the same kind of program at their site, and then another facility took an interest as well. Later in the year, there were presentations on my idea, giving the credit to me.

Not long after, there was a call for nominations for yearly awards, and I received six nominations. In the presentation that the corporate suits gave in front of our staff, they said it was the first time in fifteen years that someone had been nominated for awards from people outside their own facility.

It is the first time I have earned a trophy as a grownup. My parents "brag" cabinet is littered with trophies the four of us earned as children - mine include swim team, softball, writing awards, horse show trophies- but I haven't gotten any since...high school, I suppose.

It felt really good. The thing about trophies, and being recognized, is it makes you feel like you might be really good at something.

If I could choose to be really good at something, then this would be exactly it - to win an award for "the person who embodies the spirit of compassionate care" for animals.

After all, I have devoted my life to serving them. I certainly hope I would be good at it by now!