Miss America

Back in my day, the Miss America pageant telecast on national television was eagerly awaited.

Our family would sit down watching as the girls representing each state would strut their stuff across the Atlantic City stage. We were filled with pride and even some envy as our state girl crossed the stage.

And then the crowning, the scepter in hand, the weeping winner would stroll the runway as host, Bert Parks, sang his one hit wonder, “Oh, there she is Miss America…”. Right then I added attending the Miss America pageant to my bucket list and pretty sure not as a contestant.

While watching Miss America after its return to national television this past weekend, I was reminded of the day I finally made it to Atlantic City and got to attend one of the three nights leading up to the Saturday night pageant. Sometimes things are just not what you see on television, it’s a lot of magic.

For hours that night we watched as 17 of 51 contestants dressed in almost identical swimsuits grinning ear to ear bounced down the runway to the same song over and over, I can still hear that song echoing in my ears, same thing for evening dresses, but the worst was the talent of the 17.

Thank your lucky stars that they eliminate all the bad singers, ventriloquists and interpretive dancers before the big show on Saturday night.

And what does this have to do with Monticello? Well, girls of all ages, you just never know where life will take you, you could be in the audience or you could be the one wearing the crown.