Slice of Life March Challenge. No. 14.
I failed
I didn’t reach my goal
But
Failure is okay
Because
It means I tried
And
Trying is what
Really counts
I was in Miami –en route home after two weeks in Ecuador, waiting to board a flight– when I saw the link on TWT. The picture of a gift-wrapped box and the word “Giveaways” hooked me. I read the challenge rules, and thought, No problem; I can do this!
So, while I relaxed in the American Airline Admirals Club, I clicked links, read slices, and made comments, keeping count with tally marks. By the time I had to head to Gate D23 to board my connecting flight, I had nine tally marks. I knew I wouldn’t be able to read and comment on any more slices that day, but I wasn’t concerned. I would have enough time after I got home for the remaining 51. That was before our travel plans were turned upside down and inside out. (You can read about that in my Sunday slice, Gained Three, Lost One.)
Late Sunday afternoon, after I’d finished my slice for the day on my blog, I settled in to read and comment on other slices. I clicked a link open, read and commented, made a tally mark. Then I clicked another link open, read and commented, and made another tally mark. And so it went as my old kitchen clock noisily ticked off the seconds and its minute hand traced the circle of its face.
Our kids dropped by for some welcome home hugs.
Then I moved from the kitchen table to a recliner. In retrospect, perhaps that was a mistake. Anyway, I was on slice #41 at 7:30 –an hour and half to go before the deadline which was 9 pm on the Pacific coast. It would be close, but I was sure I could do it.
I opened Slice #42. My eyes closed. Then my head jerked, and my eyes opened. Twenty minutes had passed, and strings of letters had appeared in the comments box. I willed myself to continue, but I couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. Not one more slice. Not one more comment. The full force of jet lag combined with sleep deprivation and general travel exhaustion had hit me. I closed my laptop, 18 short of 60, climbed the stairs, and tumbled into bed.
When the challenge closed a half hour later, I was fast asleep. And when I awoke, I felt like a winner.
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for hosting
2017 Slice of Life Story Challenge
I love your poem and your post, especially the last lines of both of them. Thank you for being part of the community! And thank you for the reminder that it’s the intention and the effort that matter more than the completion.
Thank you, Melanie. And I’m glad you stopped by today.
Alice, I found comfort in your poem as a writer. Thank you for sharing
🙂 So glad you stopped by, Mandy.
Alice, you did well. I gave up before I even started! I am sure your comments will be appreciated.
Thanks, Juliette. I did enjoy the reading and commenting. It’s the closest thing to reading student essays that I’ve ever done outside the classroom.
Bravo Alice! What an effort. It’s tough to keep up this challenge when you are away and traveling. But you still have more than 1/2 the challenge left. Let’s GO!!!!
Thanks, Bonnie! Oh, yes, I’m on target for the daily slicing challenge; I’ll keep it up.
Alice, I too was traveling over the weekend. A crowded place on Sunday. I actually did respond to 60+, but by the time I got home, realized I left my wallet in the car that transported us, sorted that out, I fell asleep, forgetting to enter the contest. The bigger gift, I would say, was all the reading.
Oh no, Mary Ann! And you are spot on about the bigger gift.
I applaud you for doing as much as you did. You posted. You commented. You won. Hopefully you are well rested.
Thank you 🙂 … I think I’m back into the rhythms of home.
I tried and found that I lost the joy of commenting by trying to keep a tally. I abandoned the tally and commented just for the love of it.
You are right, Adrienne, about commenting “just for the love of it.” 🙂
You commented on 42 slices while traveling and being jet-lagged! You’re a winner in my book!! 🙂
🙂 Thanks for saying so!
Awwww…you are a winner! And so are the many slicers who received your comments this weekend. Welcome home!
Thank you, Jennifer! 🙂
Even so … that many comments is a marathon. I don’t know about setting a number like that. Reading too many blogs, you start to lose a sense of whose words you are writing. You start to comment just for commenting, and tallying. I’d rather be leisurely about it all, and know, this is Alice’s blog. I am writing to her. I am. Hi, Alice!
Kevin
Hi, Kevin! So true! One of the things I value about SOL is the opportunity it affords to enrich and be enriched through our Slices and Comments exchanged.
you did great to even try when you were that busy with travelling! I did mine over the weekend, but sat on my bed with my cat for the first 30 and then watched a show for the next. My strategy was to open 10 links at a time, rather than just one. But 41 is still an awesome completion 🙂
Ah… your time sounds so much more relaxing than what I remember about my weekend. Thanks for dropping in today!
I love the part when you woke up to strings of letters in the box. This has happened to me many times! I agree you were a winner along with all the slices you commented on.
When those strings of letters happen, I wonder what else I’ve “typed” that I don’t know about. 🙂
So lovely that with all of your busy and exhaustion, you commented on so many slices!
🙂
Good for you for getting much needed sleep rather than commenting for the sake of commenting.
I spent all day Saturday editing a newsletter and didn’t post until around 6:00 MST. I commented on eight or nine posts but received zero comments on the one I wrote. In retrospect, I wish I’d skipped the SOL challenge altogether that day.
You made a much better choice than I. You win!
Ahhh… I’m going to go to your post right now. 🙂
You may not have met the goal you set for yourself, but you touched many Slicers by gifting them with a comment. And that matters, Alice.
Thank you, Stacey. I like your metaphor: comments / gifts.
It’s not the destination but the journey, right? I figure it never really is about the numbers or the challenges, it’s about reaching hearts, and having your own heart touched.
Absolutely, Molly! And that I certainly accomplished.