Service - also known as "this is not my beautiful life"

As I covered in this post, the four points of the Miss America crown stand for Style, Scholarship, Service, and Success. When I started this brain-dump of all the thoughts and feelings that have built up since I was last involved with Miss Ohio, I figured that most of my posts would fall into those four categories. I'll see, in the long run, but for now ... this will work.

My thoughts today focus on the "service" point. Specifically, how it relates to my interest in the state program.

My interest in Miss America was piqued at a very young age. Although I was always a bit of a tomboy (and quite the ugly duckling) growing up, I always loved Miss America. The shiny crown, the fancy dresses, the questionable "talents" ... all of it made me look so forward to that Saturday night in mid-September. It was a big deal in our house ... popcorn and kool-aid, all 'round. I didn't know about the scholarships, the long history and tradition, the scandal of Vanessa Williams ... none of it. All I knew was that I loved to see that beautiful stage and the glittering spectacle each year.

Fast forward to my high school years, and I got involved with pageants. Still the tomboy underneath, I learned to embrace my inner diva ... oh, and I learned (completely by accident) that I could sing. While volunteering for a county fair during the summer, I got recruited to participate in their local pageant. I was too scared to sing in public, so I played the flute. I didn't place, but I did win the Non-Finalist Talent award. I had the bug. I also was a complete and utter moron for walking away from competition to get married, just as I'd found my "groove".

Yes, I enjoyed competing; but I also loved to organize things. I became involved with the production side of pageants, and really got involved. For a few years, my family produced a local program that was "closed" ... we liked having a local girl to spoil. And spoil we did ... every year, my mom and dad picked out special presents for "their princess", and she became part of our family. So much so that I followed one of our former winners all the way to Atlantic City, when she won as a different title two years later. We've been to their weddings, shared their joy and sorrows, and realized the true gift of friendship with these women.

When my mom fell ill, I spent most of my time running back and forth between her house and mine. I spent as much time with her as I could, because I didn't know how much longer she had. When she passed, one of the directives in her will was to establish a scholarship with a local softball league she enjoyed directing.

Although I'd been out of the Miss Ohio loop for a while, I still kept up on the "happenings" and the gossip. And I kept watching the program I had loved since I was a little girl spiral out of control.

That's why I want to be involved again. That's why I care. I want my daughter to have the chance to be a part of Miss America ... to be part of something bigger than her.