Royalty in a box!

 Well Gentle Readers,

Last nights festivities began around 8:30 and proceeded like clockwork. Our remaining royalty members from rodeo weekend assisted Miss AGRA 2012 Trixie DeLuxe (what a fantastic girlfriend!) in assembly line fashion to hand out awards. Our boys; Rodd, Rocky & John Paul looked dashing. Ms Kami’s boundless energy kept her in vivacious form. Our own version of Charlies Angles; Diva, Taylor and myself, after a slight break from the days events and a fresh coat of shellack, kept ourselves outfitted in evening wear with our good humors in tact to the very end. The event was short, to the point and over by 10:30.

I then immediately loosened my corset strings, kicked my pumps off, packed my crown away, walked out in the Arizona night air feeling rodeo dirt under my stockinged feet and hitched a ride to the nearest Whataburger. And guess what … it was right next to the hotel! After a quick tap of my drag mallet the face cracked, fell into the sink and down the drain. I laid back to enjoy my still hot buffet while listening to the Chill station on XM Radio. Kami came home soon after and we both literally crashed OUT!

4:30 am came and fortunately I hitched a ride again with Barry (a true gentleman and sweetheart) from MGRA. Since his flight is @ 7:00 (mine @ 8:00) it was very stress free. I don’t know if the TSA people are getting nicer or if I am just getting used to the situation but this trip has not annoyed me like many in the past since 9/11. So here I sit at my gate, large unsweetened tea kicking back with Victoria safely packed away. My royalty sash, crown, Stetson, belts & jewelry all in my hat box. (rule #1 Gentle Readers: never let your BLING out of your immediate vicinity & control).

In reflecting on my weekend which was not only the first Rodeo of the 2012 season but my first outing on the Rodeo circuit as Miss IGRA, two things keep repeating in my mind:

1. I truly LOVE gay rodeo. The people I am meeting, seeing again and working with are an amazing group of folks from all walks of life. This organization has from the very beginning rekindled my love of horses. I think it has even intensified my appreciation of all animals. Seeing people’s dogs on the trip made me miss mine so much I had to immediately go and get an unconditional love fix from a proxy puppy. Petting the goats back in the stalls was sweet and watching the calves sleeping and sometimes dreaming as they basked in the Arizona sun was touching. Watching this very feisty troupe of steers and bulls give the contestants a real workout was sometimes jaw dropping to say the least. It takes real dedication from our contestants to put themselves in these competitions. I commend their stamina & verve! As Miss IGRA I am working as a timer this year, which I truly enjoy. This allows time off to perform and freshen up during the day. After this year I plan to branch out to the chutes and arena. Just not in a full face of makeup and corset. So that is #1.
2. I’m old! I view this as a two edged sword. On one side I am working with a lot of folks who are young enough to be my children. Pacing, for me, is everything. Luckily, having come from TGRA, I learned very early on that if you are going to run for a royalty title you have to pace yourself. You can’t say yes to everything. “No” is a complete sentence. It’s not rude, it’s just a sentence. I can’t do everything the kids are doing. No staying out and partying at the club when I have beat a mug at 5am.
3. On the flip side of all this I’ve been in the drag community nearly 25 years. I’ve been an actor 36+ years and been a singer since childhood when at age 8 in a 4H competition I sang Little Johnny Chickadee to a live 2 inch tall live fuzzy yellow baby chick. I enjoy entertaining. I love connecting with an audience. Sometimes it almost seems like being on autopilot. If the wrong song plays on my CD and I haven’t done it in awhile I just go with it. If I forget words I make up lyrics on the spot. People usually never know. It’s the old adage, “never let them see you sweat”. Over the years I have become more and more comfortable on the mic. Very few things throw me. I shoot from the hip. Im a multi-tasker, a problem solver. If I don’t know how to get the job done I find the help I need from others who know how to do it or get instruction on how. I constantly try to remember that everyone is at a different point in this thing called life. Understanding, compassion, empathy, respect, tact, & compromise are essential in working with others. With that said, I must also take responsibility for my actions. Saying I’m sorry for something I’ve said or done and meaning it isn’t defeat its just knowing that its okay not always having to be right.

So this is a large part of MY journey. My trip through 2012 as Miss IGRA and as I continue through life on a day to day basis. Pretty big weekend all in all, wouldn’t you say? We start out in one direction, taking one path, and you not only find new experiences and hone your skills that you’ve been cultivating for years but you get a plethora of affirmations that validates the fact that you know much more than you ever imagined and it all opens up new possibilities that you never dreamed possible.