My Blue Ribbon Experience

This is 4-H judging week in my community. For those of you who aren't familiar with 4-H I shall attempt an explanation.

Kids in grades 3-12 do various projects ranging from raising goats to freezing homemade jams to making a working lamp. The projects are grouped by age and category, then judged, and ribbons awarded.

The be-all-end-all-ribbon in 4-H is the dark purple Grand Champion of which only one in each age group and category is awarded.

The next highest ribbon is a lighter purple Reserve Champion. Once again, only one reserve in each age group and category is awarded.

Everyone else is awarded a blue first place, a red second place, or a white third place ribbon, with multiple kids winning blues, reds, or whites.

This morning my daughter earned a blue ribbon, which was immediately admired and then promptly handed to me to hold until we were ready to leave the judging.

Translation: I shoved it in my purse.

Gently, of course. I'm not a Neanderthal, I just don't like holding other people's stuff.

It was going to be awhile before we could leave the judging because her project was being considered for a Grand or Reserve ribbon.

Translation: It was held back and placed on a nearby table until all of the other projects in her group had been judged, which was approximately three hours later.

Three hours, people.


Three hours.

Sigh.

After the judging was over and we'd eaten lunch, the girls and I stopped at the store to exchange a previously purchased, incorrect printer cartridge for the correct cartridge.

When it was my turn at the Service Department, I reached into my purse to get out the receipt for the printer ink and in doing so, I pulled out my daughter's blue ribbon that I'd shoved in there earlier this morning. Here is the ensuing conversation:

Lady in line behind me:  Boy, that ribbon brings back lots of memories.

Me: Yeah, I know! I did 4-H about twenty years ago.

Lady (face looking puzzled): I did 4-H forty years ago, but I don't still carry my ribbons around with me.

And that, my friends, was my blue ribbon experience. Pin It Now!