Not-So-Humblebrag, or The Prizes is Right

Someone complimented me the other day and it felt weird. It wasn’t the compliment so much, because I’m awesome, it was the fact that it was public and unexpected, plus the fact that I was singled out when other people around me had been nearly almost as awesome.

I like compliments. I mean, my thick, lustrous hair alone generates multiple compliments daily. The hair on my head is also quite something. But I want the compliments to be earned and justified and preferably accompanied by one of those giant cheques.

The same goes with — what shall we call it? — bragging, boasting, public elations? I don’t like to talk about how wonderful my life is, though true and obvious. It just seems… gauche. And just in case I’m coming off as far too full of myself right now, I’d like to point out that I haven’t bathed today and have been stripping paint off a door frame and am quite gamey. Too much? I’ve ruined this post now, haven’t I…

And we’re back! Here are a few recent events that I’m quite proud of and feel the need to share.

1. Son James was named Rookie of the Year for his Champlain College basketball team. Daughter Katie also plays basketball and finished her career at John Abbott College as co-captain and recipient of the Team Player Award. My eldest Emily hasn’t won any awards of late but she did inherit both my hair and awesome genes.

2. Speaking of awesome, Abby finished Grade 7 last week and at the closing ceremony won the school’s Thespian Shield for acting. It’s huge! She asked me that night what exactly she won, because she wasn’t really paying attention. Hey, it was a long ceremony, and “thespian” is a big word. Plus, a book on Greece for an acting award? No wonder she thought she’d won some kind of history prize.

3. I was named Best Columnist for 2013 at the Quebec Community Newspapers Association‘s recent awards gala. I used to sit on the QCNA board when I owned The Stanstead Journal, so I feel this is a recognition from my peers. This is the second time I’ve won this, and I’m truly touched and proud, and I don’t even feel weird saying so.

4. I won a barbecue from our local grocery store. This is the second grill-like item I’ve won from local grocery stores over the past 20 years here. The first time was an indoor T-Fal grill (like a George Foreman grill, except with less boxing) and this time it was a five-burner propane barbecue. In another 10 years, I expect to win a pig-roast pit. The thing is, my wife had just given me a barbecue for Father’s Day the week before. I have two barbecues now. I am the king of the barbecues. I am putting it on my resumé.

That’s all. That’s enough! Life is good.

Oh wait! One more thing: Here’s my final CBC “Breakaway” piece for the summer. It’s about leaving high school for good, and how great it would be to do that all over again. Widget below or you can listen over at CBC.

Insufferably yours,

Ross