-
![]()
One recent Halloween my five-year-old son entered a *pumpkin-decorating
contest at his school. He proudly took his entry to his school. It was a wild
combination of *carvings, paint and feathers which he had constructed himself. We
placed it among the other creative pumpkins witches, a snowman, and even a
5 bubble-gum-blowing pumpkin (wearing a baseball cap. I thought that the judges were
going to have a tough time choosing a winner.
They must have thought the same thing, because when we returned to the school
that evening, we discovered all the pumpkins had been awarded the same black-and-
gold ribbon>My son, eagerly looking to see if his entry had won, kept asking me,
10 "Which pumpkin won? Where's the winner?”
What could I say? "Well, it looks like everyone won. Look. You got a ribbon, son!"
Kids are smart. "Yeah, but who won?" he asked. I could sense his disappointment
- and my own. Why have a contest if you're not going to pick a winner? >
I understand that the school was trying to convey that everyone had done a great
15 job, but I worry [that
(3)ª
a different message was sent that losing is a hardship no one
O
should face 7
