Mineola “Contest Junky” Tries Luck with Reader’s Digest Short Story

When Sara Robles entered a short story contest in Reader’s Digest, it was just another way of feeding her “habit.”

A self-described “contest junky,” the Mineola resident enters different competitions and giveaways through periodicals, Facebook and products she uses, including the digest magazine.

The Reader’s Digest contest gave contestants the opportunity of having their life stories read by the magazine’s 30 million-plus readers. Entrants had to submit a 150 word short story with the grand prize winner taking home cash and the chance to have their story published in the March 2012 edition of the magazine. According to the Reader’s Digest Facebook page, 6,653 people entered the contest.

Robles submitted a story about when she was pregnant with her now 6 month old daughter, during one of her “Sara moments.” 

Entitled “Trapped in my own Imagination!” it recounts a moment when she was on her way home from work and panicking when the elevator in which she was in failed to move. After imagining all the worst-case scenarios, Robles realized that she didn’t press the elevator button:

I look down at my pregnant belly and burst into...LAUGHTER! Ooops!, someone forgot to push the button to the Lobby. I pushed the Lobby button and the doors opened. What a relief! I guess it's true about pregnancy making you temporarily clumsy and forgetful!

“I thought it was hilarious because I was trapped in my own head, because I actually imagined the whole thing,” Robles said. “For a moment I was wondering, ‘am I imagining this?’ Being tired and almost 8 months pregnant, I just forgot to press the button. I actually got to the lobby and laughed all the way to the train station. I had a long day at work and my mind was completely lost. All I had to do was press the button.” 

While Robles did not win the contest – that honor went to a gentleman named Jim Ruland – she still keeps entering contests, taking the attitude of “you’ll never know until you try” and has won a little over $300 in cash prizes and baby products in the past two months.

Though she was more interested in psychology in college, Robles was involved with writing in high school and the contest was her first short story entry. She said she continues writing for her own personal collections “now that I’m a mom, I have so much more stories (to tell) everyday.” 

Shortly after entering the Reader’s Digest contest, Robles started a new blog and Facebook page. Called “A Daily Dose of Insanity and Deals,” Robles shares other stories and allows her followers to get a chance at winning some of the giveaways she hosts with other bloggers.

“The title holds very true to my life,” Robles said. “I’ve become a ‘couponer.’ Being a stay-at-home mom, I look for the cheapest things”