Awards Ceremonies That Don't Last Ten Years

You're sitting an at Awards Ceremony in an uncomfortable chair in a very large building, and approximately 85 thoughts or so are going through your head.

First, you want results. Like, a lot. And you wish they would just hurry and get to your event already, but of course they still have to thank all of the directors, judges, parents, people who bring us food, photographers, orientation people, and all other staff members before listing off the top timers and anything else they can think of, all of whom receive flowers and/or gift cards. Second, you're tired. It's been a long couple of days. You really want to go home and sleep, but you refuse to do so. There is a ceremony to be held. Third, if you're anything like the people who sit near me at the awards ceremonies, you're probably so tired that you don't get whatever joke the guy at the mic just told. Fourth, your feet hurt, and you really want to put on non-tournament shoes. Fifth, you really want to see the ballots so you can know why you didn't break or go 6-0 when you clearly deserved to. Sixth, if you did break to finals in something, you're distracted by the fact that one of those shiny trophies will soon be yours. Seventh, you're trying to figure out who won sweeps, but sometimes that doesn't take very long to guess. Eighth, you're discussing with the people around you who will win various speech events and forms of debate. Ninth, you and a hundred other people are hoping you got a green checkmark in Impromptu if you didn't break. Tenth, you're attempting to locate yourself and your friends in the photo slideshows that always leave me convinced I didn't attend the tournament, judging by the lack of me.

I could go on, but quite frankly, everyone probably just skimmed over that paragraph, so I should just not.

By the time the Awards Ceremony rolls around, you're already exhausted. By the time they actually start announcing results once tab has them ready, you're somehow alert again. But it seems like it takes forever to get to that point, doesn't it? They never seem to announce the event you really care about first. Especially if you really care about TP. In my experience, that always go last. If you're a non-debater, then you'll probably be exhausted again by the time Policy and LD results come up. I always was. If you are a debater, then those just can't come fast enough.

Sometimes, the tournament people understand. They get you. They feel you. They're tired too, and they want to go home too, and they want to get to their kids' results almost as badly as you want them to get to yours. Sometimes, those people don't take their time at the ceremony, and you walk out of the building feeling somehow like that ceremony flew by. And then the tournament is over. And then you're sad.

And then you go home and go to bed and it all works out.
And then you start planning for the next tournament.

You're homeschooled. See you there.