April 1, 2010
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." -from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
According to Greek mythology, Zeus gave Paris, a mortal, the Herculeon task of deciding who was the fairest of goddesses. Aphrodite, Hera, or Pallas Athene.
I am certainly glad I did not have Paris's task, but I had one nearly as weighty, at least for me.
Last weekend, I was honored to be one of five judges at the 2010 Mrs. Missouri America Pageant in Branson.
Tell you more about who won the crown in a minute, but first, let's get back to Greek mythology because it has a lot to do with my story.
As the mythological tale goes, Zeus hosted a big dinner party and for some reason did not invite Eris, the Goddess of Discord. Big mistake. Not a good plan to ignore a Goddess of Discord.
Feeling snubbed, Eris arrived uninvited and angrily threw her magical Golden Apple of Discord into the festivities. An inscription on the apple read: "For the Fairest", and thusly all three goddesses immediately wanted that apple.
Zeus was understandably reluctant (more likely scared to death) to judge these fiercely competitive beauties and afraid to award the apple and title to "the fairest". Therefore, since he was a god and since he could, Zeus tossed the hot potato problem to Paris, a mortal known for his fairness.
Seemed like a good idea at the time.
As you may recall from your history studies, things got a bit dicey after that. Hera offered Paris wealth and power if he chose her. Pallas Athene promised him honor and glory, but Aphrodite trumped them all with her promise of Helen, the most beautiful mortal on earth, as Paris's wife.
The only problem was that Paris must steal Helen from her husband King Menelaus of Sparta, which, as you may recall, resulted in the famed Trojan War.
Thankfully in real life, judging beauty pageants is not as difficult or dangerous as in Greek mythology.
The Mrs. Missouri judges this past weekend were privileged to meet a bevy of astoundingly beautiful women who happened to be equally as smart, talented, philanthropic, volunteer-minded, articulate and strong as they were beautiful.
Seventeen women ranging in age from 22 to 56, all beautiful inside and out, participated in the pageant representing a myriad of life experiences and professions.
Such as, pharmacist, cosmetologist, minister, eye doctor, Deputy Chief of Staff for a U.S. Congressman, legal assistant, paramedic, singer, student, mother, volunteer, businesswoman and savvy entrepreneur.
As Jane Austin once noted, "It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before."
How did we choose a winner from among these exceptional ageless beauties you may ask?
Partially by the numbers and points assigned for each category, or simply put, by the spreadsheet. Often we hear that the answer to nearly everything is "in the numbers", right?
Perhaps, except for that one indescribable, intangible quality that makes "cream rise to the top"--the "it" factor.
Emily Dickinson once noted, "Beauty is not caused. It is."
And we know it when we see it, don't we?
Therefore as promised and with no further adieu, allow me to introduce Mrs. Missouri America 2010 and her top four runners-up. (Incidentally, they each possess the "it" factor, in my humble opinion.)
Please meet, Mrs. Missouri America 2010--Dr. Carrie Hruza, 38, of Ladue!
First runner-up, Melissa Roe, 32, of Kansas City who will serve if for any reason Mrs. Missouri cannot; second runner-up and Most Photogenic, Stephanie Gaines, 26, of Smithville; third runner-up and Congeniality winner, Tina York, 34, of Lee's Summit; and 4 th runner-up, Rebecca Brand, 28, of St. Charles.
My thoughts go back to Paris though. Why did he not use a tally sheet to choose "the fairest" goddess instead of abducting Helen of Troy, the fairest of them all?
Had to be the "it" factor that made him do it. I am just saying.
