First World Problem of the Day

August 16, 2015
Mr. Incredible? Steelers linebacker vows to return kids' 'participation trophies'

I refer you to the comments.

I won a half-dozen plaques and trophies in my bowling league when I was seventeen (high series, third-high game, triple-200, etc.), and couldn't have imagined getting an award just for showing up. How pathetic. Harrison is right on. - Ray Gordon

When I was seventeen, or thereabouts, I won two trophies in my bowling league. I managed to bowl both the high game and the high series that year. There was just one small problem. I received the high game trophy but the second trophy I won was for perfect attendance.

This came as a bit of a shock to me. It seemed like there must have been a mistake. I asked if that was the case. Nope. In an effort to spread the trophies around, the kid who bowled the 2nd best series deserved to win the high series trophy apparently. Must have made him very proud.

True story. Some in my position might have become incredibly upset about it. I did find it annoying at the time. However, I figured nobody in the real world was ever going to give a rat's @$$ about a bowling trophy awarded one year in a small farming town of just 800. I think hindsight clearly shows that I was right.

At the age of 51, I still have that perfect attendance trophy. It reminds me that life isn't always fair. It also really keeps things in perspective when I read about atrocities in third world countries that involve machetes. We all have our problems. It's a small world. Some just have problems bigger than others. Much bigger. Go figure.