I Love Awards

We all need some recognition and rewards for the things that we do, even if it’s just a big grin from the baker for giving her the right change or a ‘well done’ from ‘them at home’ for getting all the cleaning done. How much nicer though to receive a tangible reward... an award, and I’m not talking Grammys, Emmys or Oscars, although I do love watching those award programmes. I’m not sure why. I often know neither the presenter nor the recipient but there’s something compulsive about the expressions on the faces of failed nominees as they try to maintain that fixed, false, smile until the cameras move on. No, the sort of awards I’m thinking of have far fewer frills, like a badge in the Brownies, a college certificate or even a blog award.

I never went to the Brownies but I remember being in awe of the line of badges neatly sewn onto my friend’s brownie uniform. When I was young I received certificates from College and University and at the time I was quite blasé about them. Only more recently did I learn how significant a College certificate can be. I was teaching in an adult literacy class. One member of the group, an elderly lady, had rarely been to school as a child. She was the eldest of a number of children and so was the one who had to help Mum, but now at the age of 83, she was ‘getting herself sorted’. I submitted her coursework to the City & Guilds and her certificate in Basic Adult Literacy soon arrived. I was unprepared for her reaction. With eyes red and brimming she whispered,

‘I’ve never had a sustificate for anything before.’

This was not the time for English usage corrections. We hugged.

And so I come to blog awards. It’s thanks to the lovely blogger, Jemi Fraser, that I have received my first blog award. My blog will wear it with pride. And now in true award ceremony fashion I would like to thank all my followers for following me, and a special thank you goes to Jemi and her blog, Just Jemi, which, incidentally, is well worth a visit.