Not much I can imagine that’s worse than having one’s father push one into a county fair beauty pagent because he found out there was a scholarship awarded to the winner. Unless the girl herself thinks she’s pretty enough, and *wants* to be herded around the stage like a prize heifer, she shouldn’t be forced to participate. For the record: the cheerleader won, and the female lead from the high school drama department was the runner-up.

It was a waste of time and money to put me in that competition – which was what I told dear old dad beforehand.