Award Winning Humiliation

[disykat]

I am so upset I have to talk to someone. Please help me feel better by agreeing with me. I know I need to be more mature about this but I'm just upset and need to vent!

I won a volunteer award at my kid's school. I went to the banquet and tried to be a good sport and put a pleasant expression on my face when I had to go up front (or about 400 mostly strangers) and accept my award and stand there while someone said nice things about me. Now I just got back from school where I found my picture as the main part of the front page of the school news letter. I am so upset - I haven't cried this hard in my life.

I feel like "la di da who thinks she's queen of the world!" The last thing I wanted was this - I feel like I am being punished.

Our school always gave out two awards in the past, this year the committee has sticks up their butts (I'm sorry but that's the nicest thing I could come up with) and only chose one because they felt they didn't have deserving candidates (??? I nominated several people who anyone but this particular group of people would think were deserving). I have no one to share this with - it was a huge picture of all me - just my face - huge - in the middle of the front page.

I have nothing against recognition in general, but having it be me has been very painful. I am not a shy person by nature. I would not have cared if it was my name only, but the picture is really bothersome.

Thanks for letting me vent. Sympathy only please - I truly am so upset about this.

 

[binny]

(((hugs)))

Im sorry youre hurting so badly

 

[cinlee3]

I hope you feel better about this soon

 

[Serena]

{{{{hugs}}}}

 

[disykat]

Thanks. I'm calming down a bit and beginning to see some amusement factor to having my face sitting on 600 kitchen counters this evening. I'll just be staying away from school for as long as I can! Obviously when my picture is on the front page of my kids paper - I am spending too much time there.

 

[FOJMO]

Sometimes it's very hard to accept recognition. Especially when it comes with a life-sized picture of oneself!

Try to accept that the school was just trying to show their appreciation and they are proud of all your hard work.

I know the one that would be humiliated in our family if that happened, would be my DD. She'd be mortified to go to school the next day if my picture had been on the front of HER school newspaper!

 

[Disney Doll]

I guess I don't understand why you're upset.

Do you think you don't deserve the awrd/recognition? Are you the type who likes to do things queitly, without a lot of fanfare?

Frankly, I think it was great of the school to honor you in this way. Accept it graciously and say thank you.

And...congratulations!

 

[bananiem]

Oh, I understand!!! I'm always embarrassed when someone says anything about the amount of time I spend at school, whether they are being complimentary or not. We don't have one award, thankfully, but they used to do a little evening dessert party and hand out little "volunteer gifts." Well, when over 200 invititations went out several years in a row and only about 12 would show up they stopped doing the party and now just send home the gifts with the kids.
When we asked people why they didn't come the usual reason was they felt they all had their own reason for helping at the school and didn't expect anything in return.
My reason for helping is 'cause I'm NOSY! I need to know what's going on and who my kids hang out with. Don't reward me for being nosy!

 

[Bob O]

I agree with disney doll!!!
Usually people are upset because they dont get a award they felt they deserved. But here you are beinbg honored for your work and yet still not happy and ready to cry, IMHO thats makes little sense. You should be happy that you are being recognized for the work you have done and that is was noticed by other people at the school.

 

[Tinkbell]

First of all, Congratulations on receiving the award! Don't be upset. The only people who might give you a problem are the ones who are jealous of you. If it were me, I'd probably laugh about it.

 

[WDWHound]

I understand what you are saying. Sometimes its embarrassing to be recognized like that, especially if you are self-conscious and worry that people might think you are "tooting you own horn" somehow. Just try to remember that people really were trying to recognize you for something they felt was praise worthy. The goal was to make you feel good, not uncomfortable.

 

[snoopy]

Well said, wdwhound. You always have such a nice way of expressing yourself, so I'll just say I agree with your comments.

{{{disykat}}} - congratulations on a job well done.

 

[disykat]

Obviously I've done the gracious acceptance - the banquet etc., but the picture threw me over the edge. It's one thing to honor people another to go so overboard that they want to crawl in a hole. Parent's are supposed to want to help - don't scare em off!

I just have to laugh I guess. My older son won 1st place in the science fair & my other son won a behavior award and had lunch with the principal today, yet I'M the one on the front page of the school newspaper.

 

[Sharby]

Originally posted by WDWHound
I understand what you are saying. . . . . .Just try to remember that people really were trying to recognize you for something they felt was praise worthy. The goal was to make you feel good, not uncomfortable.

To echo Snoopy. . . "well said WDWHound"

 

[Lucky4me]

Sorry you are feeling uncomfortable about this, but don't worry about the school scaring parents away. A LOT of people would LOVE to see their picture plastered on the front page of the paper! (Like me....lol)

 

[glo]

{{{HUGS}}} be proud of your accomplishment. I am sorry it is bothering you so much, and I hope you feel better about it soon.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'll make it a threesome for the hound, well said, Don, and congratulations, disycat. Plus a {hug} because I know you still are a bit shy about the whole thing.