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No, they don't.
When my eldest child was seven years
old, we were shopping at our local grocery store when I noticed they were having a coloring contest. I thought back to my own
childhood and the fond memories I had of entering coloring contests, even winning one when I was five. I spent a week coloring my picture and making it perfect. My prize
was a huge Easter basket full of candy and treats. I might as well
have won a million dollars. Even at a young age, I was proud of my
effort and so excited to have been rewarded.
We brought home the Halloween coloring
page. It was a picture of a Fall scene with pumpkins, hay stacks and a
wagon. I watched as my little girl meticulously selected just the right crayons,
colored as closely in the lines as she could and tirelessly worked around the
clock for two days. I saw her determination to do her very best.
We turned in her entry and a couple
weeks later went back to the store. We were excited to see the
winners were posted! As I scanned the display in the age 7-8 category, I was shocked to see the winning entry: There was
thick, black crayon markings scribbled across the entire page.
That was it. No other colors, no staying in the lines... My child had given 110%, and this was judged the very best and awarded first place. As I looked closer, I saw the fine print listed at the
bottom of the page:
Winner shall be chosen by random drawing.
Winner shall be chosen by random drawing.
Winner. Random.
And so began a change in my thinking
about success, equal opportunities, American exceptionalism and
wealth.
To be continued...
