I mentioned last week that I was going to try to lighten things up a bit around here and I have another hilariously talented writer stopping by to do just that today. Although I remember that big hair weighing me down a bit and, oh, that first break up, I thought my world was ending. A story told as only Poppy from Funny or Snot could do…
When I was 16, my tender young heart was ripped from my chest and pounded with a meat cleaver by the boy I loved. I turned to Tiffany for support. She betrayed me by answering, “It must have been love, but it’s over now.” Apparently she was having a threesome with Roxette.
I spent hours dialing the first 6 digits of this boy’s phone number and studying his schedule so I could randomly bump into him as often as possible. Like his hallway in the middle of the night. During these dark days, I wore a lot of black and logged a many hours in my room.
Though they gave me space to find my own way out of my pity party, my parents were tired of my moping. They donned full length leather gloves to throw the occasional food scraps at me while I wallowed.
Wasn’t I pretty enough? Didn’t we have the same taste in music and movies? Wasn’t 3rd base (Oprah edition) far enough?
Just as Zamfir was a rebel with his pan flute and Bobby Fischer was the grandmaster of his rooks, I too, chose to channel my negative energy.
Armed with a can of Aqua Net and a family size jar of Vaseline I headed for the light.
With the encouragement of my mother and a friend who didn’t want to do it alone, I decided to do something so horrific I can’t believe I am sharing. On the high heels of Deborah Norville and Kathie Lee Gifford, I stepped off the ledge of comfort.
I entered the Junior Miss pageant. Scratch that, the Junior Miss Scholarship Competition. I thought I had successfully blocked the experience from my memory until the friend who talked me into participating reminded me with photographic evidence a few months ago.
Pageants aren’t exactly main-stream where I live. You have to be a total Hand-walking Queer to participate. While I don’t mind being queer, I can barely walk on my feet without tripping and I have no discernible talent. I was encouraged by pageant leaders to persevere. I learned the group dance numbers, I faked photography as a talent, and had my ass handed to me. No sash. No crown.
I would rather look back on my teen years and explain a stint in rehab than my months spent perfecting a curtsy and pledging to stay away from 2nd base (Dr. Laura edition). It was pretty obvious early in the competition I wasn’t pageant material. It was also obvious the scholarship awarded did not cover the costs most girls spent on competing. I actually hoped for a Miss Congeniality nod.
My back to back defeat in love and pageantry was a turning point in my young life. As promised in the pageant literature, I did learn a lot about myself in the process.
Don’t date dicks and never EVER wear dyed to match shoes.
—————————-
Oh so many memories this post brought back, how I miss those perfectly dyed royal blue flats that seeped through my tan-colored nylons and colored my feet for weeks afterwards and playing my Tiffany cassette on my mint green mini-boom box over and over.
I can’t thank the gorgeous Poppy enough for visiting today. She also writes at Aiming Low and you CANNOT miss her latest post, Little Orthodontia on the Prairie.
If you don’t already stalk follow, like, friend and love Funny or Snot as I do, go follow her on her blog, on Facebook, on twitter, on YouTube and on Pinterest.
You might also like...
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
I'm Jessica, 30-something mom to five, four in my arms and one in my heart.
I love it! You should write more about that. I’m serious – I’m thinking a book deal could come of it.
Twitter: BigPieceofCake
I think I would need serious psychotherapy to recall more details. Although writing about it here was kind of liberating!
Poppy recently posted..Guest Post – Four Plus An Angel
Twitter: funnyorsnot
And now I know for sure we really are soul mates.
I, too, entered one (and only) pageant at the tender age of 17.
I wore a white ballgown just like the one your’e sporting.
I may have also put Vaseline on my teeth.
But this is better than what I thought you were going to do with a family-sized jar in this post.
So there’s that.
julie gardner recently posted..Today call me silly
I had visions of being Miss Teen USA but somehow it just never happened. I’m sure it is because I never entered a single pageant and not because of the fact that I had nothing for the talent section and also pregnant.
Your talent could have been Growing a Person!
angela recently posted..A Year to Remember
Very true, how did I not think of that??
How convenient, you didn’t even have to dye your shoes. I bet you at least placed. Tell the truth…..
Poppy recently posted..Guest Post – Four Plus An Angel
Twitter: funnyorsnot
I remember dyed to match shoes for bridesmaid dresses and maybe proms??
Robbie recently posted..Counting the Days
Twitter: momma23monkeys
I remember being so excited to get my first pair – they were teal!
Poppy recently posted..Guest Post – Four Plus An Angel
Twitter: funnyorsnot
This made me giggle, both the story and the photo! (Of course, Poppy usually makes me giggle, so I’m not too surprised.)
angela recently posted..A Year to Remember
I think I need 10 years to actually giggle about this!
Twitter: funnyorsnot
Oh sweet Poppy, that photo could have rocked this all on its own! Love!
Galit Breen recently posted..Memories Captured June Linky!
Twitter: galitbreen
When teased properly, it had its own zip code!
Poppy recently posted..Guest Post – Four Plus An Angel
Twitter: funnyorsnot
We are awesome permed hair sisters, bangs and all.
Kristin recently posted..Take Me Home For A Rest
I’m pretty sure it was a spiral.
Poppy recently posted..Guest Post – Four Plus An Angel
Twitter: funnyorsnot
oh, I remember dyed shoes to match…what on earth were we thinking?
and Poppy…I haven’t been reading you too long, but I am totally surprised you did a pageant…wow…
although I still do love big hair…before I cut mine all off I used the Big Sexy Hair products…
Not a Perfect Mom recently posted..Today I Discovered What a Selfish Bitch I Actually Am
Twitter: notaperfectmama
Oh Poppy…hilarious! You totally deserved a crown. xo
tracy@sellabitmum recently posted..The Real Cost Of Raising A Child
Twitter: sellabitmum
I should have smuggled in a bottle of Crown, it would have numbed the experience.
Poppy recently posted..Guest Post – Four Plus An Angel
Twitter: funnyorsnot
No wonder there are so many holes in the ozone layer…jeesh…
Well you surprise me every day Poppy.
Kimberly recently posted..Secret Mommy-hood Confession Saturday
Twitter: momgosomething
NEVER wear dyed to match shoes. If you are in a wedding, the first thing one should ask “are they “wedding” shoes” and if so, are they dyeable? If the answer to either is yes, this is not your friend. Slap that ho and run! I did one sorta not quite let’s stop lying, it totally was not a pageant pageant. No sash, no crown. So, I did what any respectable high schooler did in the late 80s: I made a satin sash and wrote my name on it in a sharpie and wore it to the mall.
Arnebya recently posted..My Artist’s Way ToolKit – a review
Twitter: whatnowandwhy
Hilarious. I’m sure if pageants had flitted across my teenage horizon I would have done something equally as insane.
Lady Jennie recently posted..Celestial Dew
I also used to wear black during my teenager period, we were something similar to the EMOs of today. We listened to Depeche Mode and Cure and thought we have been misunderstood all the time. Fortunately, nobody from us got stuck in that black and depressive mood, I think everybody has got a period is his/her life like this.
So funny! And yes, I too remember the dyed to match shoes. And my mall bangs. Yikes.
Really, really yikes.
Natalie @MamaTrack recently posted..Pieces of Me
How lucky am I to have two of my favorite bloggers in the same place at once?
Dyeables. LOL! I never did the pageant thing, but they were and are great to poke fun at.
Tonya recently posted..I’m Ready!
Twitter: letters4lucas
Poppy.
All that we’ve been through. The motorboating. the beer farts. The blisters.
All of it, and yet you keep this from me?
I don’t even know who you are anymore.
MommaKiss recently posted..Like…Magic.
Twitter: mommakiss