Finalists Announced 2014 We Said Go Travel's Inspiration Writing Contest - I made it? Whaaaat? :) This is awesome...

I entered a writing contest several months ago. I never expected anything to come from my spontaneous efforts in submitting my story for

We Said Go Travel's Inspiration Writing Contest. The top 50 finalists were announced TODAY. I am one of them. That's CRAZY, right? 

Well, I suppose...

 I prefer to describe the phenomenon as 'awesome', 'one of the best things ever', or in similarly constructed positive-type correlations...

I am in the Finalists.
I haven't been in the finalists of anything since I was a kid.

I won the 4-H public speaking contest several years in a row, back then.

This is WAY better.

Over 500 people from around the world entered the contest I'm talking about.

I realize that I sound pompous, or worse-
brag-gy...

Neither projection is my intention.

The motivation for entering the contest,
in the first place-

was not to win...

Don't get me wrong, friends.
Winning would be GLORIOUS.

The initial purpose that prompted my frantic story-writing frenzy-before-the-deadline-arrives-ed-ness... (Whatever, I write that way... when I'm excited)...
WASSSSS....

that I FELT something more than just a desire to gain recognition from my story.

I didn't write what I wrote to be recognized.
I was surprised when my entry was selected to be featured on We Said Go Travel's blog.

Today,

I was
FLOORED.

Me?
Regina?
A FINALIST?

You're kidding.
Really.
No...,
seriously...

WHAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?

So went the reasoning-to-myself process of thought,
which occurred shortly after a notification email was sent to me.

Congratulations!

For what?-
I think this while I read the subject title and opening sentences of Lisa's email notice...

Then,
it hits me.

My story...
It...

mattered.

It mattered to somebody-
to more people than just me-
a newbie writer...

To explain why it mattered to anyone other than myself,
I suppose you'd have to ask the contest judges.

I wrote about my Papa Jim.
I wrote about my Mamaw Rose.
I wrote about our travels together.
I wrote of loss,
joy,
tears,
smiles,

...

In 500 words or so,
I wrote what mattered most to me at that time-

It still matters to me.

It matters that someone read words I wrote-
They thought well enough of them- or me- or whatever the heck-
to make me a finalist of the contest I'm so glad to have been a part of!

Read my story here and find the 'R's in the list of finalists for the Writing Contest!
My name is Regina.

I wrote something that mattered to me.

It mattered to somebody else.

It mattered more to me.

It still matters.

Read it.

Read the other stories, too- especially those from Lisa and George...

I don't expect to win.

But, I hope...

That's kinda what my whole story is all about, after all... :)

Read: Finalist Story for We Said Go Travel Writing Contest 2014 - Regina's Story!

Find other finalists at the following link- List of Top 50 Finalists Writing Contest We Said Go Travel 2014

Today is Awesome & Other Breaking Headlines of Equal Awesom-y-ness

Today I woke up to find that the story I'd written for the 'WeSaidGoTravel' Inspiration Writing Contest had been published online. I've been kind of proud of myself today. Okay... I've been really, REALLY proud. Still, I really hate to come off as though I am completely self-absorbed. Today, I kind of... AM.
I think it's okay to give yourself some credit when something awesome and unexpectedly good happens, though. After all, it's been a rough year. Last year, I mean.

This year...
This year is starting off rather... WELL.
:)

I'm not sure whether or not my grandmother has read the story I wrote yet or not. When I called her this morning, she was heading off to file her taxes. This will be the first time she's done that without Papa. I could hear the nervousness and determination in her voice when I called her early this morning. Little things that we all take for granted seem more important to me now. For example, filing taxes. I HATE filing taxes... but, I've filed mine each year that followed the day I got married.

Couples split up responsibilities differently. For Josh and I, the paperwork and financial responsibilities of dreaded tax season fall on this lady right here. I, however, refuse to wash dishes. I hate washing dishes more than I hate taxes. It's one of those weird things, I guess. I'd rather file your taxes than wash your crummy, yuck-yuck dishes.

Today, I have given myself no responsibilities. No dishes. No taxes. Today, I've enjoyed the success of having something I've written... noticed.

I don't expect to win the Inspiration Writing Contest. Just having my story be one that was chosen for sharing feels spectacular. That little 'about the author, Regina Hodge', part at the end... Well, THAT- in and of itself, is worth celebrating. Having my grandmother tell me how proud she is of me...
That's winning.
Somehow raising enough money to take Mamaw Rose to Venice?
I'll think about that tomorrow... :)

Thanks to all friends and family who took time to read what I wrote! You guys are freakin' awesome.

For the be-boppers, be-boppin' around online who end up on this completely random blog...
Go read this and say something nice, will ya? :)

http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/promises-italy-rv-camper-usa?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=promises-italy-rv-camper-usa

Papa was awesome.
Maybe I inherited a little part of that...
just
maybe...

Stay tuned, lil' readers. I've been busy writing my first children's book. It's done. The illustrations... well, they're coming along. The publishers and the money to publish the book? You know, some things just have to work themselves out. Today, I dominated life. Tomorrow, I will be humble Regina again. Thanks for reading, fellow comrades of awesome-ness. :)

We Said Go Travel Inspiration Writing Contest 2014

Click below to read my story...

http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/promises-italy-rv-camper-usa