Rejection

I've kept a file labeled "Depressing rejection letters" in our file cabinet for about 20 years.  It contains all my rejection letters from publishers, companies where I applied for jobs, etc.  I don't know why I keep them.  I never look at them.  Maybe I'm thinking if I ever get famous, I can pull it out and say, "Look where I came from!"  I don't know. 

Every time we move and go through the files, Mike pulls out that file, rolls his eyes, and says, "Do we really need to keep this?" and I always say yes. I'm not sure why I'm so attached to my own failures.  Since we just moved again, Mike pulled out the rejections and said, "Can you let go of these yet?" and I pondered a minute and then said, "Yes!  But first let me spread them out and take a picture of them so I don't forget.  Then the kids can use them for scratch paper."

This is one of my favorites.  The Boston Review really needs to work on their rejection letters!