When I tell people that I 'do pageants', I often hear questions about the drama that goes on: "do girls cut your dresses in the dressing room?" or "is everyone snooty?" Fortunately, I have participated in pageants that have very little to no drama! However, this is not to say that there is never any pageant drama...I just choose to stay away from it.
Sometimes being in a competitive nature can make us say or do things that we would not usually do, but please understand that anything like rolling your eyes, mumbling things under your breath, etc is a form of bullying - today we live in a world where bullying is taboo subject, as people don't like to talk about it, but we have to understand that it does indeed exist. So for me, bullying and pageant drama are equal.
Choose to avoid the drama - think before you speak - think before you act. Don't let a piece of plastic with rhinestones attached or a piece of satin and thread ruin your friendships or scar your reputation.
If you find that you have participated in pageant drama or bullying, realize that it is wrong...and that the world moves on...so can you! Say your apologies and move on, move forward.
I recently worked on-site at a pageant for about six days and honestly, the competition just got to some people. It's ok...take your personal feelings back to your room and sort them out there, don't bring them to the attention of others or try to make others feel bad.
You are beautiful, you are intelligent, you are amazing...you do not need to lower yourself by making others feel bad or question themselves. Never doubt how awesome you are and work hard to achieve your goals. Even if you do not win, you will have learned more about yourself and your capabilities with every pageant you try and every "drama-filled moment" that you avoid! =)
A note from Anne McConnell, America's Mrs. 2012: "As unfortunate as the drama is, it is also a training ground for life because we all will eventually face these kinds of stresses in the real world-crown or no crown, but queens can be out there showing the world why we are queens ;)"
