A feather in my cap…tion

/ Glen Donaldson

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It’s not like you weren’t warned.

Two weeks ago I mentioned an entry of mine in the New Yorker Caption Contest had been announced as one of the three finalists. This in a contest that attracts in excess of 5000 entries from countries around the globe each week.

What I also said at that time was that if the entry went on to actually win, expect to have to suffer me talking about it all over again. And if it didn’t, guaranteed you’d never hear me mention it again.

So here I am talking about it. Again.

Earlier this week when I logged onto the site to check if they’d decided on a winner, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I spotted my name next to the first place flag.

My seven-year old daughter has since taken to calling me ‘Champion’ (as in at the dinner table at night, “What drink would our Champion like?”) and I’m making no effort to correct her.

And only now can the full story of this long-awaited triumph be told.

A little on two years ago I read an article about how famed American film critic Roger Ebert had taken 107 attempts before he finally won the notoriously difficult to win New Yorker Caption Competition. I set out at that time to attempt to match his record but resolved if I had not met with success by the 108th attempt, I would give up.

The caption I sent in two weeks back that has ended up winning this competition was my 105th straight week of submitting an entry. I’m ready to retire now, content I’ve achieved what I set out to do. But I’m gonna pop a few champagne corks before I do.

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25 thoughts on “A feather in my cap…tion”

    • You guys think I’m joking about the ‘Champion’ thing but really I’m not.
      You can keep calling me that all day long and I won’t mind in the least.

      Someone got me over the line and even if it was a mischief-making computer hacker who flooded their server with illegal votes I can assure that person I won’t be registering any complaints.

      Thanks Nikki but the next test for you is are you prepared to call me ‘Champion’ to my face?

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  6. I’ve taken the ‘Champion’ comments so I may as well take the ‘genius’ compliment while I’m here also.

    Thankyou John, but I must also acknowledge my knowledge of that well known saying that deep in the heart of every act of genius lies several shades of madness.

    Hmmmm…

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  8. If you say something enough times people are inclined to believe it, so keep peddling that ‘Champion’ tag won’t you.

    Sue, I’m happy to be the centre of attention on-line, but in real-life?
    They don’t call me ‘Mr Under the Radar’ for nothing.
    A pat on the back on Monday will do it for me nice ‘n proper.

    Thankyou cheeky.

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    • You’ve gone and done it now Bronywn.
      You’ve upped the ante with that insert of ‘World’ before champion.
      And you’re absolutely welcome to do it again whenever the urge takes you.

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  15. How fortunate you are that I can be off line from weekly perusal of Scenic Writer Shack to drop in unexpected in catchup mode to resurrect the warm and fuzzies!

    I am so happy for you to have won that caption award. In the face of whatever BS you may encounter in the world of the 9-to-5, you can calmly remind yourself you carry Champion status, smile kindly at the surly bureaucrat, and leave them flustered in the dust of another failed attempt to get you down.

    As I stated above, you have a win more than well deserved.

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