Practicing Poise and Personality through Pageantry

Something you might not know - I was actually the official Bryant Junior Miss for 1975. Well, at least by default. Here, as Paul Harvey would say, is the rest of the story. My high school sponsored a pageant each year, which was affiliated with the national Junior Miss program, a well-respected scholarship contest of the time. The winner of our pageant went on to win a regional pageant, which meant the runner up became Bryant’s Junior Miss. This lovely young lady also won a regional contest. Both participated in the State contest, held that year at Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock. Because of their regional wins, neither wore the title of Bryant’s Junior Miss at that event. I had been the second runner-up. So, logically, the vacant title belonged to me, right?  I laughingly mentioned this forgotten detail at our class reunion, and my sweet classmates awarded me with an overdue tiara.

So, what may you ask, is the big deal with a title, even when a tiara comes along with it? To many young ladies, that title represents recognition for a lot of hard work. Girls love to be reminded how pretty they are, but to be judged the prettiest is not easy. Our pageant in Bryant included several musical numbers, demonstrations of talent by each contestant, and a “runway walk” to show grace and poise in formal dress. The audience at the evening performance saw all of this, but they weren’t present for the interview process held earlier. I remember being very nervous, and also that I was required to purchase a pair of gloves for the occasion. Easier to find in the mid-seventies than they would be now, but still out of my comfort zone for sure.

 Like any competition, pageants can become all-consuming and overdone. I certainly don’t endorse some of the gyrations that parents put their children through all for the sake of winning. Pageant Moms can be every bit as bad as Little League Dads. But, for young people who really display an interest, and parents who are supportive without being pushy, contests of all kinds can be a character building experience for all involved.

Local pageants in particular celebrate the culture of their area. In agricultural areas, they usually emphasize the most prominent crop. So, we end up with Watermelon and Pink Tomato Queens in Arkansas, and in Florida, Strawberry Queens. On a trip to the Plant City, Florida one year, we attended the Strawberry Festival, held on fairgrounds that reminded us of the State Fairgrounds in Little Rock. One display in a large exhibit hall held the gowns of past Strawberry Queens dating back to the 1930s. The local ladies have taken this thing very seriously for a long time.

There is certainly something to be said for youngsters who can help the family with their dirty, labor intensive work by day, and then clean up to don fancy clothes in the evening. It takes a well-rounded young lady to pull something like that off, for sure. In the Ouachita area, some of these pageants are held around livestock shows, so horsemanship becomes one of the judging criteria. A few years ago, we helped some ladies to select just the right cowgirl attire for the Conway County Fair Queen pageant. Glamour, glitter, boots and hats combine to produce some great results too!

When our daughter was three, our hometown of Shannon Hills held a beauty pageant as part of their Fourth of July celebration. This was no easy feat, as a couple dozen moms and little girls were required to compete in fancy dresses and swimsuits, as well as preparing a short talent demonstation. At that age, the costume changes alone are a major accomplishment. The local cable TV channel “streamed” the proceedings live, and the ordeal (oh, sorry, I mean the contest) will live in our memories forever. This is certainly the stuff of family legends!

Most recently, our grand-daughter participated in the pageant at the Fourche River Days held at the Perry County Fairgrounds. Girls from the age of seven months to 15 years smiled, waved and posed to the delight of parents and grandparents. Our nine-year-old coveted the crown itself, but she learned that they don’t just pass those sparkly treasures out to everyone who registers. She is beginning to appreciate the pain and effort that goes into winning any competition.

The lesson in all of this- Anything worth having is worth working for. Congratulations to area youth and their parents who are showing off their varied talents and competing in so many different ways. The prizes won are worth the effort, and you will be stronger for it. Even if your tears mess up your makeup a little bit in the process.

          

The Family Headquarters

 

            From the street, it looks like an ordinary, 40 year old mobile home with a house roof, a large porch, and a rock foundation. The uninformed observer would not suspect the details that make this location a treasure trove of great stories.

          Just behind the double gate that leads to the back yard is a very small fence that is completely useless, but at the same time legendary. Once a connector between the old gate and the side of the house, it stands four feet tall and less than two feet wide, with a metal post firmly set in concrete on each side. A friend who is a consummate story-teller remembers this piece of chain link each time he sees any member of our family.  What sort of dog, he wonders, would be small enough to stand behind the fence, and well trained enough to stay there, without any means of containment. More entertaining than any story this likable guy could tell is the enjoyment he gets out of that silly fence.    

In the front yard a very large flower bed constructed from railroad ties holds white rock, a flagpole, and a soda parlor style chair made of painted iron reinforcement bar. Decorated with artificial flowers at the beginning of each season, the whole thing conceals a massive stump that marks the spot where a huge pine tree once stood. The flag flies proudly, and along with a yellow ribbon tied to a nearby tree, it portrays the love of country that lived in the heart of the latest occupant of the house. At various times over the years, this display was accompanied by large signs, stating displeasure over the way the government was handling current affairs. On the porch, a lighted cross burned twenty-four seven, leaving no doubt about the priorities of the family.

           Inside the fence that goes all the way around the yard, canines of all shapes and sizes have chased squirrels and provided a noisy welcome to all who ventured in. A very fertile garden spot in the back corner is now their final resting place.

          Three sheds occupy the lot. One was a fully equipped workshop, where all manner of crafts, furniture, scout projects and science fair entries were constructed. A wood burning stove, numerous bright lights, and a front and back door that enabled a wonderful breeze made this a comfortable hangout for  residents of the male persuasion. When something in the house needed fixing, whatever was required could be easily located here. A second shed made of fiberglass panels housed the family’s clothes dryer. Located here as a safety consideration, it’s distance from the washing machine in the kitchen made for some exciting back and forths on bad weather days. The third building is larger and sturdier than many homes, and housed shelves full of seasonal items, from Christmas decorations to ice chests and camp stoves.

          Inside, the memories speak with a clearer voice. The layout has always seemed a little more spacious than a single-wide mobile home, and the addition of a family room with a rock hearth along one side makes it truly unique and welcoming. The wide opening into the room was graced with a ramp at one time, when the owner used a motorized scooter to travel around. More than just a convenience, this became a built-in amusement park ride for great-grandchildren. That same room became an oversized bedroom when the family living there outgrew the designated spaces on each end of the house. Heated for most of the years with a wood-burning stove, many warm and happy voices still echo from the wood paneled walls.

          Everywhere you look are improvements added by different members of the family. The son-in-law who had a day job in a synthetic marble plant practiced his trade in the kitchen and both bathrooms over the years. One daughter added phone jacks, and some rowdy grandsons once left a dent in the bedroom door.

          The dining area window has had a bird feeder within view, and it provides a perfect point to contemplate that spacious yard, and the buffer of trees behind it. Somewhere beyond the back fence are more houses, but they are far enough away that you get a good sense of country living with your bacon and eggs each day. Over the kitchen sink, another window has view of a flower box that has been a favorite nesting place for feathered friends. Better than any televised nature program, anyone who remained quiet long enough could witness tiny lives beginning in an up close and personal fashion.  

          At some point in the not so distant future, this property will change hands.  Children who grew up here have families of their own. The handy men that repaired it have their own homes to maintain. Hopefully, another family will move in and make new memories. For one patched together bunch of kids, grands and great grands, this place has served its purpose many times over, and will live in our hearts forever.