Tuesday, April 14, 2009

THERE IS NOTHING IN LIFE THAT CANNOT BE FIXED BY WEARING A TIARA...

I wasn't a cheerleader. I wasn't homecoming queen or even runner up. When I went to proms we were protesting the war in Vietnam and frilly dresses and tiaras were oh so out.
Long hair and unshaved airpits were in.
Suffice it to say I never had an opportunity to wear a tiara.

But I wanted one.
Oh how I wanted one. I walked by shops and they would call to me.
"Hey you! Yeah. You loser. You never were crowned Miss Pea Patch 1967. Or San Juan County Fair Queen."
My deepest darkest desire. Not the winning of the crown.
The wearing of it.
Flash forward fift...er just flash forward.
So I walk by this shop and I see the tiaras in the window.
What was I waiting for? Permission?
I bought one. I didn't even lie and say it was for my daughter. No sir. I said it was for me.
Tiaras are interesting. You don't squash them onto your head like a headband. They are pinned. I had to go to Longs Drugstore for bobbypins.
I have my tiara. My life is complete. And I got to thinking...
How many times in your life do you not get want you want because you don't give yourself permission to go for it?
Let's each find our own unique tiara.
And I give you all permission to go out and get it.
Today.
And let me know what it is.
On your mark.
Get set.
TIARA.

22 comments:

writtenwyrdd said...

Sometimes we really need a tiara. Glad you got yours, Pat.

I haven't had a tiara moment in years, but things like last minute vacations to Paris to get away from Maine winter, and taking horseback riding lessons are my most fun tiara moments.

Kavita said...

Your post makes me smile, you're a sweetheart, Pat.
My tiara moment will be a walk in the lovely landscaped community garden at dawn tomorrow. At leisure. With me. I won't be a house-elf wearing myself out for perfectly capable folks; haven't seen a sunrise in a while.

ORION said...

Ah sunrise...with a cup of coffee? Alone? Now THAT's a tiara moment!

Heidi Willis said...

What an awesome post!!

What I love is that you didn't say, "This is so impractical! We don't have room on that tiny boat for a tiara!"

I think my tiara moments at this point is letting myself sit and write and ignore the laundry piled on my bed waiting to be folded.

So that's what I'm off to do.

I really do love this post!

Holly Kennedy said...

Happy tiara day, Pat.

Whatever rocks your boat, I say (with a smile, of course). I've never had any burning desire for a tiara but I've always wanted to own a scooter for some reason :)

ORION said...

Hey I watch all the tourists on their sequeways...a scooter could work.
HINT:
Don't put it on your head.

Janet said...

Mine was a silver crocheted dress with a zigzag hem and a fringe. :o)

I would still wear it if I had a venue where everybody hadn't seen it a dozen times...

And I buy funky shoes occasionally, even if I'm a middle-aged dumpling, no matter what my sister-in-law thinks. And dangly earrings. And quirky hats.

ORION said...

oh I LOVE dangly earrings...

Karen L. Simpson said...

I love this post. My best tiara moment was when I bought a ticket to Ireland because I've alway wanted to go. My next and best tiara moment was when I bought a share in a race horse.

My next one I think, if I can pull it off. is to go to Timbuktu, Mali for a writer conference.

Rev. Di said...

My tiara moment was when I went back to college at 41 to finish my bachelor's then my master's. I was a better person to myself and my family than I had been in years

Sandra Cormier said...

This tiara thing is taking off. It's Doreen's fault, isn't it?

I never thought of wearig a tiara. If tiaras were mentioned in high school, I wasn't aware of it.

I was a cheerleader. Once. But only because they didn't have cheerleaders in Spain.

I suppose my recent tiara moment was my first newspaper interview. Yay!

Bookfool said...

What a great post! And, believe it or not, I have a tiara. Not a tiara moment, but a real tiara. I bought it at Walmart in the crafts section. It's beautiful and it sits on my desk. If I feel bad or just need to be silly or pretend I'm a princess, on the head it goes. For a time, it crowned my monitor, but then I got one of those skinny monitors that you can't load with Stuff.

BClark said...

Very wonderful, I love the mental image of you sitting at your puter wearing your tiara.
Tiara moments, since I was on my own for so long I pretty much have indulged myself over the years. Lately would be the goats, and dogs and plants and tons of seeds. My poor hubby will tell me no about things, don't know why he wastes his breath. My latest whim is maybe a horse, I know a lady who does rescue....hummmm

Aprilynne Pike said...

Good for you!!!!!

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

I'm sure you're the tiaraiest woman in the harbor Pat. Congrats. I danced in the Miss Attleboro (Mass) pageant in the mid 1970s. Our dancing school was the "entertainment" which gives you an overall idea of the quality of "talent." Our rendition of "ONE" from a Chorus Line brought the house down. I'd dearly love to tap dance again. I was quite good. Time steps and flap ball changing my way around a stage. That's my tiara, tap classes. Always a fortune when I find them and never an ability to leave the kids to take the classes anyway. Jazz hands, everyone.

Anonymous said...

Don't laugh.

A Lite Brite.

You're laughing. I hear you. Okay, I am too.

I always wanted one as a kid, and after my daughter was born I bought one...for me. She wasn't old enough. It was all about Momma and the Lite Brite!

Anonymous said...

I've always used my tiara as a warning sign on bad days. If I'm wearing it, you'd better treat me like the Queen of Everything.

ORION said...

OMG!!! LIte brights! my son swallowed like TEN of the little plastic lights and I had to take him to the ER...
BAD mother... BAAAAAAD mother...

Brenda said...

I've always wanted one of those cute little cars they drive in the UK. A green one.

Michelle O'Neil said...

Where are the photos? We need photos of you in your tiara. ASAP!

dan radke said...

Just wanted to say, awesome post!

Kanani said...

I've had a tiara ever since starting to read Empress Bee's blog. I wear it all the time. The only thing is that sometimes I forget to take it off. So there I am at the super market wearing an old pair of shorts, flip flops and a tiara.

And I get weird stares. But then, I figure they are just jealous.