I was a Teen Queen, Once.

I really was in a pageant... once.  You know, there are just some things you do for those you love.   I have paid my dues.  My grandparents had an Airstream trailer that kept them traversing the United States through my high school and college years.  We spent Spring Break every year in Harlingen, TX, among the Snowbirds.  My sister and I would drive with my parents hoping for a lot of sun and excitement.  We took many trips across the border into Reynosa, Mexico.  It was there that I found my very favorite mexican dress and umpteen straw purses from the market.  We drank fresh squeezed orange juice from the grove outside the window and ate at cafeteria after cafeteria - at least they have good fried okra and dessert.

Another perk of the Airstream Club is the opportunity to travel to the International Airstream Rally every summer.  During this rally, they have a beauty pageant  - all entrants were grandchildren of the participants.  At least I think they were all grandchildren.

Anyway, I competed for the Miss Oklahoma title and was crowned somewhere in Central Texas.  Yes, I was!  I became Miss Airstream Oklahoma my freshman year in high school.  Here I am, don't I look like the perfect Teen Queen?

I played "Oklahoma" on the piano - you had to have a talent, you see.  I got to make appearances at various rallies for Region 9 (I think it might have included Texas, too) where I played the piano and smiled for many, many senior citizens.

In exchange, I got a free trip to South Bend, IN.  The rally was on the Notre Dame campus.  We were there for 2 weeks and I made some unexpected friends!  There were all sorts of Teen Queen activities and plenty of boys around to "escort" us.  Each of the Queens hosted a party where we ate snacks surrounded by silver bullets and lawn chairs.  We wore our state ribbons everywhere we went - even when we saw GhostBusters!

Our talents were quite a variety.  Greta was a clogger from South Carolina.  Mandy was a baton twirler from North Carolina.  There was a flutist, a few pianos, and a ballerina.  My favorite was the clogging.  I'd never seen anything like it.  

I was closest to Miss Alabama, Alyssa.  I even named my Cabbage Patch Doll after her.  She was a southern girl, for sure.  By the age of 14, she had already mastered the art of having big hair all day long and she had lipstick that stayed on, no matter what she ate.  I swear, her lipstick was always on - she had certainly found the secret to a successful pageant life.  She stood in Pageant Stance, had a million pageant dresses, and was always picture perfect.  Her talent was the flute.  She was sweet and sincere.  I just adored her.  Even when she won the whole thing.

After the pageant, we each had escorts who took us to the Teen Queen Ball.  We had a great time.  We danced and laughed 'til our curfews called.  Then, our escorts walked us back to our trailers (which were all lined up on Teen Queen Row).  And yes, who would've expected, but it was on Teen Queen Row, on the campus of Notre Dame, that I received my very first slippery, disgusting, appalling french kiss.  UGHHHHHH.  I couldn't figure out what it was at first - his tongue.  My grandparents and my aunt were sound asleep, so it was on the toilet in the tiny, cramped bathroom that I sat (lid down) to ponder what exactly had just happened to me.  I had been kissed by a boy who I barely knew and who I never wanted to see again.  What was his name??? Jeff?  Bob?? Ahh, yes, Jim from Ohio. 

Below is a picture of me, Alyssa, and the car I rode in for the parade.

I have a scrapbook full of details.  If you are ever at my house, just inquire and I will pull those memories out.  You can see the bullets, the ribbons and the faces of the friends I kept for years.  I didn't see them in person again, but we kept in contact via mail for a long time.  The best part was the tiara.  I had the prettiest one, in my opinion.  I still have it, and if you don't laugh at me for too long, I might even let you try it on!

I was ONCE but am no longer, Miss Teen Queen Oklahoma - signing off.