My mother, little sister, and I sat down to watch the Miss USA Pageant. I have never really paid much attention to beauty pageants before mostly because I had other interests. When my mom and sister sat down to watch it I thought why not join them. While I watched the program I could not help but think of all the criticisms beauty pageants get. It is easy to look at the fifty-two contestants and compare yourself to them. They all seem tall, skinny, beautiful and just about everything that society tells us women we should be. I chose to look past that all and almost felt an instant connection with the women competing and myself.

My first thought concerned sorority life specifically. Hollywood does not necessarily project a positive outlook on Greek life. I almost felt as though all these girls maybe understood the pressures that some sorority girls feel and they may even be one of those girls. The stereotypes surrounding sororities are honestly impossible to live up to and most girls do not want to live up to them. While girls within the same chapter may all have similarities you can bet that they realize how diverse they are. Not every sorority girl is obsessed with Starbucks, some may be able to kick some boy's butts at sports, and others strive to take on what seem like impossible careers. While watching the pageant you get to view each of the girls in different settings and the place that they consider their home. You get a sneak peak into their life and only get to see a fraction of who they are as a person. While watching I could not help but think about how each and every girl comes from a different background and how there is so much more to them than being another pretty face on stage.

My second thought was geared towards my pre-college years. In my household, it was all about dance. From the time I was little to the time I graduated high school, I have been faced with both positive and negatives comments about dance. Dancers are not the only ones who have faced criticism. Everyone experiences it at some point or another. In other disciplines, such as cheerleading, I know it is a hot topic. I could not help but think about the people I encountered throughout my dance years and the friendships I have made. These were the people who became my second family and they also happened to be some of the most inspiring, driven and strongest young women I have ever met. While watching Miss USA I was thinking about how even though I may not fully understand everything about the pageant world who am I to say that it did not take years of hard work and dedication for them to get to where they are today?

With social media being the center of life today it is almost impossible to not be criticized for something. We have all experienced it and it is something that we will all face again and again. Taking the time to look past someone's physical makeup is important. Even though I spent the past couple of hours watching pretty women walk around in beautiful evening gowns, that is not what I took away from the pageant. Instead, I was more in awe of what each of them has done and continues to do with their lives. The hours of service, philanthropy, personal battles, etc. are not shown on stage. They are doing so much more than just getting their makeup and hair done and parading around in pretty dresses. If everyone took the time to look past what they see the world could be a much happier place.