The first trophy I recall receiving was for my participation in Little League baseball, when I was 9 or 11 years old. It wasn't for being the first place team, or the star player. Every boy got one, which I think I felt was a little odd. But I valued it nevertheless, and it made me feel important.
Over the years I have accumulated a fair number of trophies and other awards--baseball, softball, basketball, table tennis, cycling, tennis, running, academics, work contributions, church service, Boy Scouts, etc. I was always pleased to get the trophy or award, and it helped focus the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, at least for a while. For the most part, the trophies and plaques became more of a clutter and nuisance, rather than anything that was displayed--gathering dust, bunched up on a high closet shelf.
It seems increasingly that the awards became more practical. Like the prized BYU intramural champion t-shirt, or the tennis mouse pad, or the Chevy's Run mug, or any number of hats, or digital clock. One award was a gift certificate for Starbucks, so I have enjoyed several cups of hot chocolate. At least these could be used and enjoyed.
To help with the trophy clutter problem, without discarding the memory entirely, we took to removing the engraved plate and giving the bare trophy to D.I. I still have way too many shirts and hats, so some of them just had to go. A shirt has to be particularly memorable to be a keeper.
Here is a sampling of some--a Chevy's mug I use all the time, a softball trophy from my top closet shelf, an engraved plate from a table tennis trophy, cycling distance awards from my bedroom wall, the BYU shirt from my drawer, and a softball champions hat I keep in the closet.
Over the years I have accumulated a fair number of trophies and other awards--baseball, softball, basketball, table tennis, cycling, tennis, running, academics, work contributions, church service, Boy Scouts, etc. I was always pleased to get the trophy or award, and it helped focus the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, at least for a while. For the most part, the trophies and plaques became more of a clutter and nuisance, rather than anything that was displayed--gathering dust, bunched up on a high closet shelf.
It seems increasingly that the awards became more practical. Like the prized BYU intramural champion t-shirt, or the tennis mouse pad, or the Chevy's Run mug, or any number of hats, or digital clock. One award was a gift certificate for Starbucks, so I have enjoyed several cups of hot chocolate. At least these could be used and enjoyed.
To help with the trophy clutter problem, without discarding the memory entirely, we took to removing the engraved plate and giving the bare trophy to D.I. I still have way too many shirts and hats, so some of them just had to go. A shirt has to be particularly memorable to be a keeper.
Here is a sampling of some--a Chevy's mug I use all the time, a softball trophy from my top closet shelf, an engraved plate from a table tennis trophy, cycling distance awards from my bedroom wall, the BYU shirt from my drawer, and a softball champions hat I keep in the closet.
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