Disappointment
The Miss America 2010 pageant was aired last Saturday on TLC. Fifty-three contestants competed for the top prize of being crowned Miss America 2010. The winner: Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron. [Congrats, Miss Cameron.]
What I remember is not the winner of the pageant, but that there were 52 losers. Not that the winner should be overlooked, but I remember them the most, because these are ladies who have devoted their time, their energy, and, for some, their lives to make it to the Miss America pageant. They were hoping, nay praying, that they would be crowned the winner only to walk away disappointed.
Now, after the pageant, I can research any information I want about the new Miss America, but what I really want to know is how each of the other 52 contestants handled their loss. How were they really feeling through their smiles? Did they cry? Did they laugh? Did they secretly want to kill the real winner? Just kidding.
All of us have to handle disappointment at some point in our lives. It’s one of the greatest lessons a kid can learn while growing up. What’s sad is that many are either not taught this lesson or that it doesn’t take. Just watch the American Idol audition episodes. But learning to lose gracefully builds integrity, and works to our advantage when we win. Why? Because when we know how to lose, then we’ll know how to win.
When was a time that you lost something which made you disappointed?