Right Where I Belonged

This is me at the piano in the Dadeville High School auditorium back in 1981. We were having our annual beauty pageant, and I was in my element. As you can see, my comfort zone was NOT strolling across the stage wearing a formal dress with the rest of my female classmates. I had tried that the previous three years, only because I wanted to be with my girlfriends and do what they were doing. But when it came down to it, I absolutely hated making that walk across the stage that seemed like took forever to complete.

I must say that we had a LOT of pretty girls in Dadeville High School. I didn't have the beauty pageant look, in my own eyes anyway, and I sure didn't like being the center of the spotlight in a room with hundreds of eyeballs peering at me. So that year, which was my senior year, I decided there was enough elegance to traverse the DHS auditorium stage without my nervous little footsteps being involved.

I can't remember which teacher it was, but when she found out I wasn't going to be in the contest that year, she asked me if I would play for the other girls to take their pageant promenades. Oh how excited I was over this idea! I still got to participate and be with my friends, but doing what I did best - playing appropriate music while the ones I considered lovely were showcasing their prettiness. Boy, was I a happy camper that night! I was right where I belonged.