You can't win if you don't try, right?

I didn't tell anyone (well, I told Jason, but he was the only one) that I had submitted an essay to Real Simple Magazine to be considered in their 2010 Life Lesson's Essay contest. The deadline for submission was Sept. 23, 2010 and they just announced the winner this week. Unfortunately, I did not win, but I found out that I was one of nearly 7,000 applicants and read the woman's entry that did win and it was really good. She is an English teacher so at least I was in good company. :) I'm bummed I didn't win - I was hopeful but I honestly didn't expect to. The first prize was $3,000 and a trip for 2 to New York plus lunch with the Real Simple editorial team so you can see why I entered. I'm just happy I did it, remain pleased with my entry and plan on looking up other contests to submit it to. I was really nervous about submitting anything, as I had never done anything like that before, but thought, "hey, what have I got to lose?", swallowed my anxiety and went for it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Maybe one day I'll see my name in print, but for now, the experience and being able to say I tried will have to suffice.