Rejected!

You know what's kind of sad? I had to have my wife explain to me the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Please forgive me for my ignorance. (Edit: Apparently I'm not the only one who didn't know what it's about).

You know, it seems like almost weekly that I post something on here along the lines of "I failed" or "I missed a goal." I'm actually surprised at how often this happens while I'm trying to achieve my 111 in 2011, but I'm also surprised that I'm not getting discouraged by these missteps. Usually, when something gets difficult, I throw my hands in the air, roll my eyes very dramatically, and give up. However, that hasn't been the case this year (as evidenced by what I wrote here and here).

I've messed up quite a bit as I've tried to achieve my goals for the year. In trying to live a fuller life, I've probably made more "mistakes" than I ever have before. But that's definitely not stopping me. I'm reminded almost daily of how precious my life is, so I want to make the best of it, even if that means falling short a time or two.

My most recent "failure" came at the hands of the wonderful Pioneer Woman. Now before you start throwing stones, I have to admit that I love PW's site. When I first got my D-SLR camera, I spent hours going through her photography posts, trying to learn everything I could about the art of taking pictures. Because of my admiration for The Pioneer Woman, though, I decided to set a goal this year that is ultimately up to her discretion. I want to have a photo featured on her photography blog!

Every once in a while, The Pioneer Woman runs contests that are themed where you can submit one photo a day to her for judging. She picks the best photos from the lot and the finalists win prizes. Unfortunately, Ree (The Pioneer Woman herself) has millions of photos to glean from every time she puts on a contest. Therefore, the odds of actually getting a picture chosen are ridiculously minuscule. However, that wasn't going to stop me from trying.




The most recent photography "assignment" that Ree posted was simply dubbed "Action." You could submit any photos you had taken that fit that theme, and it's always very open to interpretation. Now, granted, many professional photographers submit their photos in these contests, but I figure my cheap little D-SLR and my untrained eye stand a chance against them. David did beat Goliath after all.

Sadly, none of my photos were considered for this assignment.

I won't give up, though! I'm going to keep trying! And because I don't want these poor pictures to go to waste, I want to share them with you here! Check 'em out!

My wonderful sister rockin' out "Walking in Memphis."

My friend, Kris, about to destroy someone's shins...

Goin' all Matrix on that throw-in there.

Big Montana flyin' high for a lay-in.

This is my favorite picture from any sports stuff I've been to.

Temple worship in Taiwan. I miss that place like crazy.

How could I not include this photo?

So there you have it! You be the judge - what do you think of these pictures? Worth a spot on PW's website? Or at least worth the space they're using on Life Before the Bucket? Any of these worth framing? Or do you think you have some mad picture taking skills that need to be on display here? 

I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else, for that matter!). Just drop me a comment or e-mail me! And while you're at it, Share this post and Subscribe to Life Before the Bucket!