As always, my ego and I thank you.
If I said I wasn't surprised, I would be a bald-faced liar. I think I made three or four posts today before I even noticed that bronze badge under my
avatar. Then when I saw it, I was pretty shocked, to understate things somewhat.
If I said I wasn't proud to be wearing the WATS badge this month, I would also be a bald-faced liar. On a board with 28,000 registered members, the
significance of being singled out for the honor is definitely not lost on me, and I am grateful to my fellow members for the recognition.
It means a great deal to me -- more than I can say without getting all mushy, and I think we could all do without
that.
As a WATS recipient, I join a distinguished group of members whom I have looked to and learned a great deal from in my short time here. Though they
each have a unique style of their own, they all have common traits which I have sought to emulate, and which I think all members would do well to
learn from. It is both humbling and exhilarating to join their ranks.
Of course, now you may be cursed with a month of awkward, puffed-up, self-conscious posts as I try to "wear the colors" properly, but I'll assume
that most of you were happy with what I was doing before getting the WATS award, so I'll try not walk into walls and make a complete idiot of myself
as I gawk at that pretty bronze medal under my avatar.
While I know being awarded WATS by my fellow members is not the same as being named Miss America or something, I do feel that I have a responsibility
to prove myself worthy of the honor, and to post with a little extra thought and introspection while I wear the badge.
To do anything less would be, in my opinion, to disrespect those who have chosen to honor me, and I can't imagine myself doing many things that would
be worse than that.
My challenge to all of my fellow members is to post as if you had the WATS badge under your avatar all the time, as I plan to do long after it has
passed from me to the next recipient. Contributing high quality posts that make ATS a better place for all members is itself something to be proud of,
whether it may come with an award or not.
Again, thank you so much! I am both proud and embarrassed, but definitely not unhappy. Now if I can make it through December without looking like a
complete idiot...
(Oops, did I already blow it?)