editorial

One year (don’t ask me which, because..as if), I wanted to do the Fairest of the Fair Beauty Pageant. I had never done one, nor have since, but the memories of “that one time” have stuck with me throughout my life.

Growing up in thrift stores (my parents owned and ran them), I always had everything and little to nothing at the same time. I also had the privilege of meeting thousands of people, one of those being Henrietta Weaver. Through the years, she sewed several of my thrifted re-designs, taking jean skirts and torn Harley shirts to another level.

That year, she decided to sew me a pageant dress from scratch. I remember going for fittings and color swatch matches, and how it made me feel like a true princess, privileged to have attire specifically made for me.

And, as Janis Floyd powdered my face and painted my lips, it was a Wizard of Oz moment, hoping I’d turn out presentable for the Mighty and Powerful Oz.

At that point, I decided it wouldn’t matter whether a crown adorned my head at the end of the night, or not, I was winning. And years later, I truly do know that now. Having women who watched me grow up, invest in me and want to be part of a lifetime memory like that, is, to me, winning in life. The crown cracks, sash becomes tattered, and the makeup fades. But the investment those two women made into my young life has stuck with me all these years later.

Henrietta & Janis - Thank You