I wrote a bit last year about my problems with handling praise. While that is still a work in progress, I’m thrilled to announce that one of my essays, Inspirations from a Toad, has won the 2013 Web of Life Foundation competition out of nearly 500 entries. WOLF runs the annual contest seeking works with fresh thinking on political, social, and environmental issues. 2013’s theme was “an aspirational future”.
The piece, part narrative and part personal meditation, combines ideas from Some Thoughts on the Common Toad, George Orwell’s essay I wrote about last year on Ekostories, with my experiences volunteering with The Lower Mainland Green Team, a local grassroots environmental group that boasts more than 1,800 members doing great stewardship work at parks and urban farms.
I would especially like to thank my writing colleagues for their careful readings, thoughtful suggestions, and swift kicks to get me to put my work out there – You know who you are. Deep gratitude, as always, and thanks for the support.
Ekostories 
Congratulations! Winning more accolades is a great way to work on overcoming your difficulty with praise. 🙂
Yes everything takes practice hah!
Congratulations Issac! That is sooooo cool! I am so happy you received the top spot. You are a great writer.
Thanks Nancy 🙂 Appreciate it very much.
Congratulations!
Oh, Isaac, what a beautiful essay. Your win is well-deserved.
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it. I’ve worked on the piece since then and think it could be better, but that’s the thing about writing – it’s never perfect and never finished. I just have to let it go.
Congratulations Isaac! You deserve it!
I am celebrating your success! This is only the beginning! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Congratulations! And well deserved, Isaac!
Congratulations re Inspirations from a Toad. Keep writing!