It’s 12:40 PM, 10/01/2003.
Trinnnn… Trinnnn…
“ Hello,” I pipe.
“ Hi. I’m looking for Ra Ja Shree…”
My ears perk up.
“This is she,” I answer.
“Hi. I’m Joy Portella calling from the NetAid office in New York to inform you…”
O My Gawd!
My heart skips a beat.
“… that you are the winner of our ‘Challenge 2015: My Future, My World’ essay competition.”
Ahhhhhhh… A loud shriek.
“O, thank you,” I manage to mumble.
O My Gosh!
Shriek.
“We would like to invite you and a guest to New York to attend the…”
Ten seconds of black out. I can’t hear a thing.
“… on Oct 29.”
“Umn, pardon me for the interruption, but could you please repeat that?” I plead.
I hear a quick laugh.
“Sure. It is my pleasure to invite you and a guest to New York to attend the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty awards dinner hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the evening of 29 October, 2003.”
This is real! This is happening!
Ahhhhh….. Scream.
So what do I win:

• Two round-trip air tickets to New York City
• Hotel accommodations for two nights in New York City
• The opportunity to attend the awards ceremony and meet Kofi Annan, among other dignitaries
• A meeting with NetAid staffers and a lunch with NetAid

In addition, they’re going to post my award winning essay on their Web site and publish it in their monthly e-newsletter “Connections,” which has a subscriber base of more than 35,000 people. She says they’re planning to set up a brief phone interview to generate my profile. And they want a photograph to go with the profile.
O. MY. GAWD. All of that. Just like that. Wham!
I begin to hyperventilate.
The news is intoxicating. I scream. I tremble. I laugh. I dance. I bolt from room to room like a headless chicken. Thank goodness, there’s no one home. Excess adrenaline gushes through the capillaries.
I call my husband. He doesn’t pick up the phone. Ahhh… I leave him a voice mail. I call an Aunt. I leave her a voice mail. I want to talk to my neighbor, but I know she’s just stepped out for an errand. I call an uncle; he’s not home.
CAN I TALK, PLEEEEEEASE TALK TO SOMEONE BEFORE I EXPLODE?
I call a friend. She picks it up. Halleluiah! I don’t give her a chance to say she’s on another line. Between gasps and screams, I explain what’s just happened. She screams. I scream. I call a dear ex-colleague and give him the news. He’s calm. I scream. I send email messages. My hands do the Cha cha cha while the keyboard tries to keep up.
It’s 2:20 PM. I have to pick up my kids from school What if I’m pulled over for DUI? I hallucinate. I scream.
I pick up the kids from school. Amid screams and laughs, I blabber about the day’s happenings.
My 7-year old quips, “So when are we going to New York, Mama?” We who?
My 5-year old inserts, “Ya, you can go only if you take us.” Come again?
My husband calls. He sounds excited. “O, man!” he hums, “Now I have to buy a suit!” EXCUSE ME! Who won the contest again?
I call my parents. Dad is thrilled. Within 30 minutes, the entire block he lives on knows about my phone call. I call my Aunt back. She picks it up. It’s a screaming match! I can’t remember what conspired beyond the screams.
So what’s all this screaming about?
It’s not so much about winning. Yeah, right! It’s not so much about visibility. Only about 35,000 people around the world know. Plus you. It’s not about the all-expense-paid trip to New York. Sure. It’s not even about shaking hands with Kofi Annan. I’m on my way to insure my hand.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
It is about pursuing a vision. It is about accomplishing a goal. It is about the journey of life. It is about believing in yourself. I matter. I can do it. I am the captain of my ship.
My self-esteem is up by 10,000 points.
On that note, I have just demonstrated life principle #2: Recognize yourself for who you are and what you can provide. In simpler terms, believe in yourself.
Only 8 more life principles to go!

Raji Lukkoor is an award winning freelancer and fulltime mom who resides in Saratoga, CA. You can reach her at rajilukkoor@yahoo.com.