In a world filled with participation trophies, I’m a strong proponent of the championship belt. If you happen to be the best third grade teacher or donut maker or librarian in town, you should be able to walk around in public with 30 pounds of silver and gold strapped around your waist. Think of it as a simple way to separate the good from the great, a convenient tool to ignore the talkers and honor the doers.
If such a belt was awarded to the best newspaper writer in the City That Smells Like Cheerios, Tim Graham would be strutting around town like Ric Flair circa 1984.