A Win!

Anyone who knows me realizes I love buffalos. Even as a grade school student, I understood how important a buffalo was to the Native Americans and their lifestyle. I thought, and still think, they are a majestic animal, one who is self-sufficient and can dig for food under snow to stay alive in harsh winters.

Then when I was about twelve my maternal grandfather bought a young buffalo. Gramps was a unique individual but that is another story! He bought the buffalo to run with a few calves on his very small acreage. He had to come near our town to pick up Bill. (Yes, he was named Buffalo Bill!) My dad went with him and they brought the animal by the house loaded in a horse trailer. I can still hear the horrible thrashing done to that horse trailer.

I have written about Buffalo Bill many times, but nothing was ever accepted. So I wrote a piece of fiction based on the real life tale and entered it in the semi flash fiction contest sponsored by Missouri Writers Guild. I really never thought about winning much, but I did want to participate, to support the group.

A few days ago, I got an email that said my story about Buffalo Bill won first place! Yea!

I have been published in many places over the past years, and I am always happy to see a byline or to win any contest. However, I have to say I really appreciate the writers of Missouri as they have recognized me several times. While I have either never met or barely met many of the editors, judges, publishers, and other writers, I’ve come to recognize their names when I see their own work. I am proud to be a part of them if only from a distance.

Thanks, Missouri Writers Guild.