Oh, joy! Oh boy! Oh Roy!
Fellow blogger Roy A. Ackerman has, once again, proved that he is one of the brightest people in the United States by nominating me - little old me - for the Liebster Award.
It's not the first time, but this time I have publicized my decision to not accept the Liebster Award - coming from the word Liebster, incidentally - meaning dearest or beloved in German.
There are different versions of the award, which is fascinating. It's fun reading the various ways people accept them (or not.)
Blog awards are interesting, and there are different schools of thought about accepting them (or not).
So here I am.
Getting the award made me know I am appreciated. That's huge, to anyone who is a human.
Part of the award involves me thinking of other bloggers (the number varies between versions) and bestowing the award on them, too.We don't tell other bloggers enough when we truly appreciate them.
So this is what I am going to do. I am going to link to an interview with a young woman I admire greatly. One year ago yesterday, October 9, 2012, she was nearly assassinated for her beliefs. She survived, and has had to leave her homeland. She has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The interview is in three parts - here, here and here. It's about 15 minutes long, and if you don't have much time, at least listen to the final third, where she talks about the supreme importance of education.
This woman's name is Malala Yousafzai, and she is 16 years old. I wanted to blog about her today and not me. Who I am pales into insignificance next to her message. Who really cares about where I live, what I like to eat, or where I want to be in 10 years?
I pray Malala is still with us in 10 years. Her life is still in danger.
So now, after bloging about Malala, I need to pick 11 blogs (or however many the version of the award I got requires me to pick). I will pay Roy's generousity forward and write a post later this month to publicize some (not all!) the blogs I like. There will be no awards, just my thanks and a request to "pay it forward in turn".
It's hard, though! It's like choosing between your children. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by leaving them out. Do I pick the woman who writes wonderful poetry on any subject? Do I pick a the Nebraska homesteader who captivates with her rural adventures with vomiting chickens? The outrageous blogger in New Orleans? The librarian who weeds books for a living? The used book seller in Oneonta, NY? The woman in South Carolina raising a teen with autism? The writer in England who decided to blog everyday this year? The list of potential nominees goes on....and on....and on.
And again - thank you for thinking of me, Roy.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
5 comments:
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at such a young age malala has done wonders, which elders could not achieve. rising against a mighty force in their own den is a great achievement
ReplyDeleteAlana,
ReplyDeleteThis is a most thoughtful and creative way to "pay it forward" and to not give in to self-promotion just for promotion's sake. I've followed the story of Malala and have talked to my children about her, how very brave she is, and how much we have to be grateful for. We don't live in daily danger like this young lady does. I keep her in my prayers. Thank you so much for bringing her in the public eye.
Congratulations for being nominated for the Liebster Award and for honoring Malala in your post. She is undoubtedly one of the bravest young women of our time. I pray for her safety!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I love your idea of paying it forward. Good luck choosing your faves:)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about accepting awards. After accepting the first one a couple of years ago, I declined all others. The 'award' is really like a chain letter. A person might not like them, but feel obligated to respond. You are free to write whatever you want. You can honor other people without a specified requirement.
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