The Miss America Pageant is an annual event held in September in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the event, women from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and the United States Virgin Islands compete for the Miss America crown in a series of events. The Pageant is put on by the Miss America Organization, which provides scholarships to the winner and runners-up. The Miss America Organization is the largest provider of scholarships to young women in the world, with annual disbursements measuring in the millions.

This event started in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a beauty contest. The event was designed to attract tourists to the area in the hopes of persuading them to stay on past labor day. Until 2004, the Miss America Pageant was held in Atlantic City every year. At the event, women between the ages of 17 and 24 representing their states compete in five events and advance their community service platforms, a requirement which has been in place since 1989.

Every Miss America candidate meets with a panel of judges for a private interview, and then competes on stage in an evening wear competition, in which she is judged on poise and style, along with a “lifestyle and fitness” competition, better known as the swimsuit competition. Candidates also have to demonstrate a talent on stage, and answer an on stage question, which tests their ability to respond professionally and eloquently. The winner of the pageant is entitled to be called Miss America for the following year.

Like many beauty pageants, the Miss America Pageant has not been without controversy. Some people feel that pageants are demeaning to young women, or that they promote unhealthy standards of beauty. Others argue that the scholarship opportunities are quite significant, and they stress the organization’s goal of supporting strong, confident young women.

The Miss America Pageant has also been plagued with historical problems. Black women were not allowed to compete until 1970; prior to this point, candidates had to be “of the white race,” and they were required to answer questions about their ancestors to prove this. Black women were allowed in the pageant only as supporters in dance numbers, and the pageant was politically conservative. By the 1970s, flagging interest and declining television rating sparked a revamping of the Miss America Pageant, with a focus on modern women and their values.

Everyone needs a hobby. So does a woman. In fact, the busier a woman is, the more that woman really needs a healthy, tension-relieving, fun way to relax.

For busy women in today’s jam-packed society, the notion of a hobby can sound like a waste of time. Yet even though we may feel we are too busy to allow ourselves some well-deserved downtime, we still crave it on the inside.

Caring for the caregiver
As responsible women, we understand our obligations to others. My question is, do we understand our obligations to ourselves? How many of us fill all the cups around us only to find our own is bone dry?

Some symptoms of a lack of self-care may be:

• snapping at the kids (or whoever else happens to intersect with us at that special moment)
• feeling resentful
• experiencing undue worry or lethargy
• just going through the motions
• the nagging sense that we mustn’t quit, because we know we might not get started again
• a decrease in time spent on personal grooming
• an increase in our personal appetites (smoking, drinking, eating, television viewing or other inappropriate/nonproductive behaviors or excesses)

Now, I can hear you already. You’re saying, “Throwing a hobby into the fray isn’t going to fix all those problems.”

You are right. Those challenges are as complex as the women struggling with them, and the solutions are probably going to be complex as well. However, according to the Hobby Industry Association (HIA), 60 percent of U.S. households participated in hobbies and crafts. All of those women can’t be wrong!

Great reasons to get a hobby
Why should you indulge in a regular hobby that you love? Here are a few reasons to start you pondering.

• Share with your children. Teach what you enjoy to those you love.

• Spend quality time with friends — or better yet, make some new friends by joining a hobby club.

• Reap personal renewal. Hobbyists often comment that they feel refreshed and revitalized after a hobby session. Could you be more efficient if you applied your brain to something else once in awhile?

• Get something productive back for the time you spend. Enjoy crafts? Make your own gifts. Like to read? Knowledge is yours for the taking. Love to garden? Feel the satisfaction of making things grow.

• Take ten. When the outside pressures turn up, taking a few minutes to turn to a hobby can help you diffuse the pressure inside of you and maintain the calm you desire.

• Nurture your creative side. No matter how you feel about your creativity (or perceived lack of it), allowing yourself the chance to practice your God-given creativity can really fill your cup — you know, the cup you dip into to fill all those other cups around you.

Ready to do yourself a favor? Take a walk through a craft store. Or a library. Or ask a few friends what they enjoy doing for a break. Think about the things you loved doing as a kid. Give yourself the chance to stay on top by taking a break.