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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

499 Words, by Shayna Matthews

Me, author and weaver, Shayna Matthews, with my husband and heroes, John Rich and Big Kenny.
They are the inspiration which ultimately drove me to follow my dreams of writing.

     499 Words, by Shayna Matthews

     Don't be afraid to live out loud, my friends. When an opportunity rises, grab it by the throat and don't you dare let it go! We allow feeble excuses to contain us within a protective shell. Sometimes we fear crossing the boundaries of opportunity--after all, who knows what might be on the other side of a new idea, action or adventure. Far too often I have heard people say, "I don't know if I could ever do that," or, "why bother? What are the chances I might run away with..."(insert golden opportunity here). I know this to be true, because I've said them all before, myself. I've since learned my lesson.

     When I discovered my heroes, Big & Rich, were hosting an essay contest, I very nearly fell into that trap. The grand prize? Four days, all expenses paid, in Pensacola, Florida for a private concert and the opportunity to meet with Big & Rich for the ultimate fan experience.

"Should I enter? What are the chances?" The date I discovered the contest happened to fall on our tenth anniversary. Being such a special day, we wondered if karma might be trying to tell us something. Is that a faint knock on the door of opportunity, I hear? So I answered the knock at the door and wrote the essay. They wanted a love story paired with the hows and whys of being a true fan, and they wanted it under 500 words. My first draft was 1500. It took me three days to pair the entry down to 499. Just one word short of the mark. Those 499 written words changed everything! When the big news came in, I was one of five grand prize winners...well, not even a writer's words can express the shock of that moment. Luckily, they made us videotape our initial reaction, so I at least have reference material.

     Big & Rich sent my husband and I on an unbelievable journey to paradise, for the price of 499 words. I sit here, having only just returned, and still wonder if it was real, or merely a grand dream. A dream filled with blue waters, white sands, mermaids and cocktails, camera crews and new friends, grand music and lingering memories of the most vivid meeting of our large-as-life heroes.

     Don't be afraid of opportunity. I don't care if you're afraid or just intimidated by the sheer scale of odds stacked against you. Those odds? Maybe they aren't quite as high as you picture them in your mind. Maybe. Little can be gained from the richness life has to offer without trying. If the opportunity passes, you will still have succeeded in trying your best. Revel in what life has to offer, and don't be afraid to try new things. Opportunity doesn't have to come knocking in the form of a contest. It could be anything. Travel? Try something new, something bold. During our extraordinary journey, my husband and I found the opportunity to go para sailing. We took it, despite my fear of heights, and I'm so glad we did. What an unbelievable experience! Sailing five hundred feet in the air over the Gulf, the boat so tiny we could barely see the crew. It was terrifying. Exhilarating. Unbelievably fantastic...one of those adventures where you walk away on slightly quaking legs, having accomplished a feat for the writing of your own personal history book. That's what life is, a personalized history book, and only you can fill in the pages. Might as well make them memorable...just watch the word count.




14 comments:

  1. "That's what life is, a personalized history book, and only you can fill the pages." What an excellent reminder, Shayna!

    You must have had great fun in Florida. Congratulations on your win! What is it with you and camera crews lately? ;-)

    I'd hug you, but I'm afraid a spontaneous gunfight might break out on the spot. ;-)

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    1. Kathleen, you're one of the few people who can make me laugh to the point of snorting, haha. I have no idea what it is lately, but it's been a year for the 'history book'! If this keeps up, I'll start to actually get comfortable in front of the camera...where's my crew? Makeup! Oh, makeup! ;-)

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  2. Don't you just love who life gives you nudges and then rewards you with fulfilled dreams. What a wonderful gift and I'm so happy for both of you. Here is to continued nudges, dreams coming true and a history book filled with great love and adventure, whatever that may be. Doris

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    1. Yes I do, Doris, absolutely love it! Thank you, I have been utterly humbled by the grace of this contest win - the sheer joy of meeting my heroes, and blessed with such a extraordinary journey...well, I just don't know what to say! Soak in every second life has to offer!

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  3. What a wonderful experience, Shayna. Thanks for sharing your journey. How great that you won!! You can't win if you don't play...always take a chance. You've reminded us all of that.

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    1. Thank you, Kristy! A chance is just that, a chance. Even when odds seem stacked against your favor, if you've done your best, you're already halfway there. :-)

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  4. Wow, Shayna--I am impressed, and I don't even know you. You're one I must get to know among this group of authors. I knew some before PRP, then I found some joined that I knew, also, then some foreigners came in, like from Galveston, and then I learned to know and love them, too! Your advice and encouragement is breathtaking, and although my experience wasn't nearly as fun and exciting as yours, it was wonderful and thrilling for me. So, I agree with every word you say...thanks for the lift today.

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    1. Wow, Celia! Thank you so much for your kind words. I would very much enjoy getting to know you, as well! (Foreigners from Galveston? Hmmm....) I firmly believe in the power of inspirations. I should -- had it not been for the inspiration of Big & Rich and their talents in singing and songwriting, I would not be where I am today. I am still floating in the clouds for the opportunity to tell them so in person!
      Thanks again, I look forward to getting to know you better.

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  5. Such a fantastic win. I agree one hundred percent on trying new things and taking chances. My goodness look at the leap of faith it took some of us to submit our first writings. Talk about nerve racking. And then when your work got accepted and you were offered that first contract. I for one was on top of the world. Congratulations and go get 'em girl.

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    1. They are memories to last a lifetime! (The return to reality has been a tough one, let me tell ya!) Submissions are indeed a great leap of faith...putting your heart and soul on the line to be judged accordingly...it's not for the faint of heart, is it? ;-) Thank you, Barb.

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  6. More than a reminder to grab life by the horns and go for the full ride, a true inspiration!! Thank you Shayna!

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    1. Hit the nail on the head, Diana. Grab life by the horns, and don't let go of opportunity! If you do, you don't want it bad enough. Thanks for your comment! :-)

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  7. You Lucy-Ducky, that looks like great fun, and of course your the winner with all that fantastic writing ability. My best friend never pays for any entertainment. She has 2 kids at home, a grandchild, 3 part time jobs, and a father across the street with Dementia--yet she keeps her cellphone set for instant radio wins. She's always getting free concert tickets-and food. If she doesn't win--she has a coupon for everything. Your both inspiring.

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  8. Shayna! I'm soooo thrilled for you. You know what I love about this so much? Big and Rich have a lot of fans, but I doubt that they have any fan bigger than you, that were more deserving of this trip or would have enjoyed it more than you did. Their music really touched you and inspired you, and this was KARMA allowing you to be able to tell them so in person. It's really kind of like someone saying, "Man I really loved your story." And someone sitting down and saying, "I have to tell you how your story inspired me to write one of my own."

    I'm so glad you won. My mom used to say, "You can't win if you don't enter." I think that fear of rejection is just ingrained in most of us so deeply--we WANT to be good, and we WANT to please others (with our writing!) and if someone reads it and doesn't like it then it makes us feel as if we are lacking. And that's just not true. There are any number of reasons why we might not win or we might be rejected. But your blog is a good reminder to all of us that we need to TRY. No matter what comes of it, TRY.

    I am so happy for you!
    Cheryl

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