Monday Memories--Looking like an aging July 4th queen

That’s sort of an odd compliment, but that’s what a high school friend wrote when I sent her this photo, my husband and son in the front and me in the back of a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 convertible in the July 4 parade at Lakeside, Ohio.

Actually, I never went in for that queen stuff.  When I was growing up our town had a July 4 queen, the county had a Pork Queen, Forreston had a Sauerkraut Queen, I think 4-H had a queen and king, our high school had a homecoming queen and court.  Not me.  Never entered any of them.  Was I a snob about queen contests, or was I insecure.  Probably both, but I wasn’t about to have a panel (usually of men) judge me!  Until.  Once I did—in 1959.  The Arnold Air Society was having a “contest” for college women to be in their auxiliary. So I read the rules, and showed up.  I didn’t get in.  I had the brains but not the legs.  However, one young cadet noticed me and called me for a date for St. Patrick’s Ball.  On our first date he told me would marry me, and he did.