Failure.

I entered a contest that I didn't win. I wasn't a finalist, nor did I receive an honorable mention. I didn't earn so much as a kelly-green ribbon labeled "PARTICIPANT" like I used to on Field Day, just for showing up.

This is depressing me.

I should note here that I get rejections on a pretty regular basis. I send out all kinds of writing things into the ether that is the interwebs and get either a politely worded "no thank you" or am simply ignored. I'm not too bothered by it--it's all part of the deal. I don't flip through the pages of Brain, Child and obsess over the stuff the editors preferred to me.

Yet today I have a very strong desire to Google all of the aforementioned winners, finalists and honorable mentions to find out what they have that I don't.

Crap.