Even Beauty Queens Age……

Beauty Pageants have held a special place in my heart because I like the idea that they provide women with a forum to be all they can be. Pageants allow young women to become more confident, poised, well spoken and goal oriented.

In the Caribbean, many young women use pageants as a means to an end. Pageants are used as a  way to earn money for their educational or business goals. These women usually prove that it is possible to have beauty and brains at the same time.

Once they make the transition from a life of pageantry and glamour, few, seldom find peace because they are forever associated with their tiara and bathing suit days.

I had my 15 minutes of fame by entering pageants. I found it exhilarating and scary at the same time. It helped to boost my confidence, and taught me about female competitors. It is the first place you learn what the phrase “killing with kindness” means. Girls will befriend you, just to find out your tactics, ploys, and to enlist your help. But, when their mission is accomplished, and they have enough ammunition, they will stop at nothing to win.

I believe every young girl should have the pageant experience because it prepares you for life and dealing with certain individuals.

Once the tiaras have been hung up, life goes on. Everyone returns to the life they wanted to live. Time passes, and even beauty queens age. People will tell you that aging is a privilege not given to many, however the same purveyors of these words are usually the staunchest critics.

I find that aging in America is frowned upon. As soon as a woman begins to show one wrinkle, she is made to feel that she must put her plastic surgeon on speed dial. Both men and women in America are frantic when they think about aging.

Aging is supposed to be a good thing if we take care of ourselves. It is supposed to be the time in our lives when the drama has departed, we are able to enjoy the fruits of our labor and have a more mellow outlook on life.

However, in my life, I have found that the process of getting older is filled with all sorts of nonsense. For instance, I mentioned earlier in my blog that I had an ear injury when I was young. Due to that injury, I have certain pesky ear matters that arise from time to time. People feel the need to put a label on it and render me hard of hearing.

I just get an excess accumulation of fluid in one  ear that makes my hearing muffled temporarily. Once I have it professionally taken care of or take vitamins to offset complications, I am fine. This little matter compounded with the fact that I have a disability of a dislocated hip, have given most people the right to suggest that I should be put out to pasture.

As far as I am concerned, I am still a vibrant human being. I do not let my limitations stop me. I have a disability, but I work around it. I don’t sit and lament, “Woe is Me!”

I try to make the most out of life even when in pain. The penny section believes I should be rendered to “Shady Groves” and deemed FORGOTTEN.

Age and my negative life experiences has not doused my glamorous spirit. I may have a slight limp, but I try to make it work for me. I like to keep myself looking, cheery and made -up as usual. I keep fit by maintaining the same weight I was in my twenties and I enjoy keeping abreast of the latest fashion trends.

This society has become such slaves to youthfulness that if you are not baring all your assets, indulging in every vice known to man, you are written off as useless.

I would like to think I am a better version of the young beauty queen. It is my belief that as women get older they should learn moderation in dress. There is no need to compete with teeny boppers. A woman who has been seasoned by the years has her own irresistible appeal, her wisdom becomes her sex appeal and badge of honor.

Worthwhile people will often sense and notice that she has a lot to offer without putting herself on constant parade and display.

A smart, beauty queen knows when to say when. No one knows if they will age well or not, but one thing that we can do is work with what we have. Whether its turning a limp into a cool stance, or a minor hearing ailment into a mechanism to eliminate negative banter. Our short comings do not have to define us or make us feel disqualified.

Therefore, to my critics who feel that I am old, washed-up and should be ignored. I feel it necessary to let you know, that you might be imposing your views about yourselves. God has given me a rugged cross to bear for a reason, and soon, you too, will know that I am more than a vital, capable, worthy human being.