My Nominations for the 2009 PMA Content of the Year Awards: Part 1

Though it is true that the common phrase, different strokes for different folks, could apply to how people view different types of content. However, I think a person would be hard pressed not be impacted in some capacity by the selections that I am about to set forth as my nominations for 2009 PMA Content of the Year Awards. My selections are based upon reading many pieces of content on the Associated Content site. Though there were many quality pieces from which to choose, I deeply believe that these five pieces represent the best of the best. As you read on, please understand that these articles are not mentioned in order of preference.

Nomination #1

The Day of No Return, by Janet Hunt

Janet Hunt tells an all too familiar story about abuse in her work, The Day of No Return. The scene opens with a woman named Leslie, who was beaten by her man, examining her bloody face in a mirror. In a moment of pure desperation she prays for an answer. On this day she hears an instruction telling her to leave. You can feel her heart racing and sense the fear in her soul as she hysterically tries to cleanup, pack her belongings and most importantly to gather her children. All this she does in an effort to follow the message that she had heard. Her man calls several times pressuring her to stay. As she reaches out to her sister and asks to be retrieved from this hell you can feel her spine tingle as she worries about her very existence. The children appear to make some limited sense of these events, but their immature minds don't seem to comprehend the complexity of the situation. Ultimately, the car pulls up, they get in and as Leslie looks back for one last time; "She pulled her daughter close in a hug". "Don't cry honey. Everything is going to be alright now." This story grips the reader and makes the reader feel all of the unadulterated fear as well as the uplifting sense of hope that this beautiful flower will indeed bloom in the spring.

If you are interested, please read this interview with Janet Hunt and learn more about this talented writer.
Han Van Meegerin Introduces and Interviews Janet Hunt
Please visit Janet Hunt's Associated Content Profile page to view her library of work. It can be found here:

Janet Hunt's Profile Page

Nomination #2

Domestic Violence: The Story of an Emotionally Abused Wife, by Theresa Wiza

Theresa Wiza writes in the first person as she details the existence of an abused wife. Though the article is sad, the prevailing message is one of courage. Throughout this article, the reader is drawn into her life and easily feels the utter sense of shame that seeps through her words. The abuse is both verbal and emotional. The husband yells, criticizes and mocks her on a routine basis. He withholds his attention for her, yet freely and openly engages in adulterous behavior with seemingly no remorse. The woman tries many strategies to improve her situation even if the improvement is just simply a coping mechanism. In this reading, it becomes crystal clear what one person can do to another human being simply by utilizing control, manipulation and other abusive tactics. The abuse is described in great detail and in variety of circumstances. Therefore this little snippet doesn't do it justice. The article must be read in to feel its full impact. In the end; it comes as a great relief that the woman performs the heroic feat of exercising this demon from her life. She moves on and gives her life a fresh start. She is like a caterpillar that cautiously comes out of its dark cocoon and realizes that it can fly on its own.

Please visit Theresa Wiza's Associated Content Profile page to view her library of work. It can be found here:

Theresa Wiza's Profile Page