::All Dolled Up::
I remember when I was about 7, I finally broke free of my mom's insatiable need to put me in beauty pageants. The pageants were a joke. Pretty much who ever spent/raised the most money determined what place the contestants would be in. I'd always be the first runner up because my mom lived for these things. She'd go all out. Get me a hair dresser, someone to do my make-up, and a seamstress to hook up a gown. She'd rally friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and associates to come to my "aid" and the "aid of the Filipino-American Community". I remember going shopping for the crown they crowned me with. She'd ask me if I liked one better than the other, like it would matter. She made ALL the decisions anyway. The pageants were always more about her. Mom wanted something to talk about. What could be better than her daughter being made a princess for 3 years in a row?My mom thought I could move outside of the community pageants and tried to put me in a pageant against other girls who had mothers like my own. The only difference was I was the ONLY Asian/Pacific Islander girl there. Well more accurately, I was the only non-white girl there. I thought I did well. Honestly, I could articulate my ideas/thoughts to the judges better than most of the other girls. I had years of practice under my belt. Even in the talent part rocked socks because I had been taking tap for some years by then. I even learned the "wave" and had it down to a science. I was always smiling, had my curtsy on lock. I think I was the most professional pageant brat there.I ended up in the 5th runner up position. Let me tell you why. This is exactly what the judge said to my mom, "Your daughter is charming. However, we don't think she has the right "look" to move onto the next level". Yeah, that sucked. But at least after that, my mom's spirit was broken and I never had to enter another stinkin' pageant again. I hated that whole period of my existence. It wasn't about fun, it was about making my mom look good to everyone else. My objections fell on deaf ears. I was like my mom's little puppet. At least that part of my life is over.
Random Blurb: Hmm...talk about coming out of nowhere. I like when posts just kinda happen.
posted by Rochelle @ 6:20:00 PM
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