I studied my butt off to get in a district spelling bee in the fifth grade. I made it quite a ways, but I didn't win. Did I feel like a loser for that? Hell no, I was proud to have been selected, then to have made it that far.
Every kid who even gets into a spelling bee is a winner, a concept lost on these PC idiots.
I did the opposite. Spelling came pretty easily to me. In 5th grade, we had a spelling bee at the small school I attended and the winner went on to a competition between the winners of all of the schools in the area.
I have to admit I was terrified of going on to the bigger bee, and I purposefully spelled a word wrong so I wouldn't win.
I'm 37 and still regret it - I know I could have won.
I lost a spelling bee in 6th grade on the final word- been able to blame that for all of life's circumstances since--NOT!