In fifth grade, my daughter, Lee, came home from school with news that she had won the school spelling bee. She would be moving on to the regional competition, which would be held at 7 o’clock at another school on a date a few weeks away.
She was very enthusiastic about her success, determined to do well.
We worked together every day, systematically covering every word in her practice booklet, beginning with the short and simple, then progressing to lengthy, seemingly nonsensical words that could hardly be “sounded out” much less defined.
It was hard not to be hopped up about it.
We had missed the spelling bee.
Lee might have been the best that day. It still pains me, after almost 30 years, not to know.
Betsy T. Brady,
McLean
New query: Tell us about a time when technology failed you in a big way.
The Washington Post is partnering with the Public Insight Network (PIN) to hear more of your 100 percent true stories taken from your own experience. Submit your answer to the query above online at wapo.st/edquery. By sharing your story, you become part of PIN — a network of more than 130,000 people who contribute to high-quality journalism. Editors will choose an entry to run in the Magazine, but we will also share more of your stories online. You can also submit to The Washington Post Magazine, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Include your daytime phone number. Recount your story in 250 words or fewer.