Part of the "Not so Fun" Pageants

Several days ago, a friend commented about the negative things often associated with pageants. I immediately brought out my arsenal of positive things and explained the many joys of pageantry. But I have to concede that there can be negative things that happen at pageants.

People generally fall into two categories: they love pageants, or they think they are awful. If you ask a pro-pageant person about anything negative, they will usually respond just like I did. But in reality, that would be like saying everything about everyone's job is perfect. And we all know that nothing is perfect. But some things, we enjoy despite the imperfections.

I have "lost" many more pageants then I have ever won. Generally, I love the winners, and I see the wonderful qualities that the judges also saw in them. I "get" why they won. But I would be lying to say that I always celebrated another's victory. That would have been the right thing to do. But I have seen unprepared girls win, when many others work hard at getting ready for the competition; rude and unkind girls win, when others were gracious and friendly; and someone with no passion for a cause or no purpose, win simply to have another title, when other contestants were wonderful advocates for their cause. And I admit, it is hard to watch these girls be rewarded with the title, when I "thought" they were undeserving.

When I have won, I have also been the recipient of negative comments such as "It must have been fixed", "She's not very pretty, what were the judges thinking?" and "I don't understand how she won, she is too fat." After a pageant, I have had "friends" unfriend me on Facebook because they didn't win and I did. All these things have made me think very carefully about what I say to others about a pageant. And perhaps that is why so many pro-pageant people always say good things. We don't want to be perceived as poor sports, or even misquoted.

So after experiencing negative things, why would anyone do a pageant. I will reserve my "pageant positives" for another post. But everything happens for a reason, though I may not know it at the time. Every experience shapes me and makes me a better person, and I learn how to handle these things better. Those occasions when I have had more negative feelings than positives ones, I simply don't do pageants for awhile. They are optional. No one has to do a pageant. I do love the true story of a young lady who competed in a pageant as part of a college research project to show why pageants hurt women. Not only did she discover the opposite, but she won the pageant and returned to compete in other pageants after that. So if someone has negative feelings about pageants, don't do them. OR perhaps, you need to do more of them to discover yourself and develop appreciation skills. What shines brighter than any crown? A person shining with appreciation, gratitude and a loving spirit!

New Blog, New Adventure

This spring, I was honored to be chosen as MS NORTH AMERICA 2011. As many of my friends know, I have competed for many years in the pursuit of a national title. But one of my favorite parts has been the "pursuit". I have crossed paths with so many wonderful people, and have been inspired over and over again. I am truly thankful for all those people that have made this dream a viable part of my life. And that is what I want to briefly talk about.

This journey has not been about me in isolation. I can recall so many people who have encouraged and coached me along. Really, the first person that put this quest in my heart, was the vice-principal of my high school. After being frustrated by the lack of scholarships available for good (non-athletic) students, she recommended the Junior Miss pageant. I couldn't begin to understand how this simple recommendation would shape my future. For the next few years I competed in a variety of pageants, winning numerous scholarships, and paying a lot of my way through college. Wow...what a deal! But these experiences fostered something else in me. A sense of pride in my generations; awe in fellow contestants and their passion; and a desire to be a better person. So I thank all the contestants through the years who have given me the gift of themselves.

As I grew older, I found I continued to enjoy pageantry. Not only did it celebrate community service and personal accomplishments, but there were more of those wonderful women! I also had help from many gifted pageant teachers to inspire me to showcase myself better. Another big thank you to those wonderful people.

And most importantly, I have had the support of family and friends. Nothing beats a loud cheering section to make you beam out to the audience. They cheer you on, cheer you up, and cheer you forward to your next dream. My loved ones have helped me "find myself" and focus my dreams. When the going gets tough, these are the people that provide the smile, a hug, and a few carefully chosen words to bring out the winner in me. How did I ever get so lucky?

So this is my journey and I look forward to sharing it with you.