A nice certificate from Austria

Background.

Earlier this year, I entered four 3-D images into a 3-D international photo competition. One of the photos, Rejection By Williams, made it into the show. This photo, to be more precise.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know … it’s a photo that glorifies the one time a Lehigh Valley Legends player actually did something against my beloved Albany Patroons. I know, but hey, an award-winning photo is an award-winning photo. So there’s that.

Yesterday, I received a package from Austria. I don’t remember winning any eBay auctions with items from Austria, nor did I purchase any Amazon products that would have been shipped from Austria.

I opened the package.

And inside was this nice certificate of achievement.

Well this is nice. And truly appreciated.

Look. In my lifetime, I’ve been dismissed, rejected, marginalized, ignored, and devalued. And even when my photos make the walls of events – or even if they win awards – sometimes I still have that nasty, greasy feeling of inadequacy and inferiority. I suppose all those years of parents telling me I was helpless, hopeless and useless actually made me believe I was helpless, hopeless and useless.

Then something like this comes in the mail – a totally unexpected and heartfelt message that, hey, you actually did something that was worthwhile, something that we liked so much that we want it as part of our gallery show, and hey, here’s something that proves you did well.

And in that moment … it just feels good.

And a picture that I initially dismissed as not being worth consideration because – quel dommage! – I photographed my hometown sports team in a bad light – ends up doing well enough to become my first-ever acceptance in a 3-D specific art competition.

Yeah. I’m definitely good with that. 😀

And it just completely made my day.