Miss Kool-Aid Days, Signing Off

   

    When I started this blog, I thought the title would be cute: "525,600 minutes of a truly blessed year." Holding a title in the Miss America Organization really does provide for a blessed year; yet, I had no idea how true the title would ring a year later.
    Titleholders generally get a say in how much or how little they do with their title. As Miss Heartland, I didn't do much. As Miss Kool-Aid Days, I did nearly as much as I could - at least one appearance every weekend since New Years Eve.
    The one lesson this really drove home was that you get out of something what you put into it.
     When I began this last pageant season, I developed a new platform. I adopted the platform of hearing loss prevention because I lost the hearing in my left ear when I was 14. One of the biggest points I wanted to get across during my year was how hearing loss affects those who go through it.
     My hearing loss really affected my social life. I couldn't hear or understand what was going on and after awhile, I stopped trying to figure it out. It was clear to me I didn't fit in anymore and I was tired of trying, and failing to communicate well enough to do so.
    I thought the Miss America Organization would give me the perfect opportunity to not only inform people about warning signs and precautions they could take, but about how difficult it is for people who suffer from hearing loss.
    In the 7 years I have lived with hearing loss, I never admitted to myself that I hadn't quite overcome the social struggles that accompanied it. It became very clear that I had a lot to overcome as I got out into the community to do all of my community service. Each time I did an appearance, I felt myself open up a little more and grow a little more confident after speaking with many individuals and helping out those who need assistance.
    Not only do I feel eternally grateful that my year as Miss Kool-Aid helped me to regain my confidence and learn how to put myself out there, but the year also helped me find my love for volunteering. Before I started making appearances as Miss Kool-Aid Days, I didn't do much community service and I had no idea how much I loved it. Now I can't imagine my life without regular community service. With or without a new title this year, I plan to continue volunteering at various events that I find, but I also plan to begin regularly volunteering for a few organizations. I will certainly continue my work with hearing loss groups (and I hope to pick up a small bit of signing expertise), but I am also looking at working with the Special Olympics or the Munroe Meyer Institute as often as possible.

    It's strange to think that giving up my title of Miss Heartland a year ago didn't phase me, yet giving up my title as Miss Kool-Aid Days literally left me in tears more than I care to admit. I spent a lot of the weekend thinking I wasn't ready to pass on my title yet. By the time I chatted with all of the 2013 contestants Saturday morning, I felt myself becoming excited to pass on my title. I knew any one of the girls would do an excellent job carrying on the Miss Kool-Aid Days title.
    Yet, the tears still kept hitting, and at random times. On one instance, a board member asked if they could call me Miss Kool-Aid Days one last time, at another I was getting ready to take my final walk, and at yet another I wanted to thank the pageant people in attendance and the people of Hastings for all they have done.
    I later realized there were two reasons I felt such a need to cry. For one thing, I have literally put myself into being Miss Kool-Aid Days and grown so much from it, that I felt a bit of a hole knowing that everything I worked so hard for was coming to an end. With a little time to think and a chat with a dear friend, I came to realize that I did put a huge chunk of myself into the title of Miss Kool-Aid Days but that I did everything I could and gained everything I could from the title; I came to realize that it was someone else's turn to learn and grow from the experience of being Miss Kool-Aid Days. I also realized that, while there is a part of me that feels like it is missing because I put it into being Miss Kool-Aid Days, it will quickly be filled with student teaching and all of the adventures that are yet to come my way, including all the community service I plan to partake in.
    I also couldn't help but cry because I don't think I can possibly thank my family, friends, pageant family, and the city of Hastings enough for all they have done for me. I think there are many people who will never know how much of a difference they made in my life, and unfortunately, I think there are many people who never will know.
    To anyone who reads this who has been a part of my journey as Miss Kool-Aid Days - thank you! Please don't ever hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you!
    To the new Miss Kool-Aid Days, Jessica Littlejohn, I first want to express the pride I felt in crowning you as my successor. You want so badly to be Miss Kool-Aid Days and you carry so much excitement about the title, that I know you will put your heart and soul into the pageant. It has been my pleasure to watch you grow through this pageant system and I know there is growth to come for you as Miss Kool-Aid Days. I wish you the growth and the joy that came through my experiences as Miss Kool-Aid Days. I know you will make Kool-Aid Days and the city of Hastings proud.
    To all of the contestants, thank you for making me feel so much better about giving up my title and thank you for letting me hang out with you all day. You are all amazing and I am so happy to know that I will see you again throughout pageant season. You all have so much to be proud of!
    I couldn't have been more honored to be your first Miss Kool-Aid Days and to represent one of the most amazing cities I have been in.
Humbly yours,
    Kimberly Brennan
    Miss Kool-Aid Days 2013

Courtesy of Studio B Photography
   

Home Away from Home

     

   As soon as I pull onto High 34, I know I am at home. Not my home, but Hastings. I sincerely have fallen in love with the town in the year I have gotten to represent them and it felt a little bittersweet driving on the road one last time as Miss Kool-Aid Days this past Friday.
    In fact, I have fallen so in love with the town and been to visit often enough, that they don't even make me stay at a hotel anymore, they provide me with an apartment at the house of one of the board members.

 

Practicing being a princess!

 

   It felt like it was only natural that my last appearance would be in my home away from home, just as my first appearance was. When they asked if I would take part in the local First Friday tradition in Hastings, I was eager to agree. The appearance would require me to speak about baton twirling and pageants, including my year as Miss Kool-Aid Days at an event called Juxtaposition.

   I have to admit, it isn't often I have to give a twenty minute speech and I was a little nervous. Despite my nerves, I outlined what I wanted to discuss. While I did want to talk about baton twirling and pageantry, two things that have largely impacted my life, I also wanted to make sure the people of Hastings knew how incredible this journey was and how much they helped me.

 

 

   Overall I think the speech went really well. It was great to share my story and extend my gratitude to the people of Hastings for all they have done to help me in my Miss Kool-Aid Days journey. I even got to learn a basic clogging step when my co-presenter gave her speech!

   I am incredibly grateful to Russanne Erickson and the Hastings Museum for having me and for making me feel so at home!

With Russanne (Left) and Megan (Right)

With Megan - she did an amazing job speaking!

   One thing that made this trip even more special for me was that my mom was able to go with me. My mom hasn't been able to make it out for any of my appearances in Hastings, so it was a pleasure to show her around my second home. We got to walk around the First Friday activities and I got to show her the building where Edwin Perkins manufactured Kool-Aid!

 

 

   While we were out, my mom wanted to get some pictures with the statues they have around Hastings. We took my sash with for pictures, but I didn't wear it. While we walked down the street and I had my sash rolled up in my hand, we noticed a little girl stop in the middle of the street, get a huge grin on her face, and run up to give me a hug. It was so sweet! We stayed and chatted for a little bit and I found out the girl is 4 tests away from being a black belt - how incredible! It truly was an honor to meet her and I am so happy she agreed to take a picture with me!

 

Even though I am no longer Miss Kool-Aid Days, I will definitely visit again! I've said it a million times this weekend, but I will gladly say it again, I am so thankful Hastings took me in as they did and helped me so much in my journey!

La Vista Dinosaurs

   Who would have guessed that dinosaurs migrate through the La Vista area and lay Dinosaur eggs each year? I certainly didn't know until I was invited to help kids hunt the eggs on July 18th. I learned that La Vista sees Watermelosaurus', Canteloposaurus', and Tootsie-Rollosaurus'!

    Before we went out to hunt, some of the volunteers shared corny dinosaur jokes and I got to read a book about dinosaurs! The kids unfortunately didn't find much humor in the dinosaur jokes and they were eager to go hunting, so we started the hunting pretty quickly!

   The kids started finding eggs almost immediately, but the strange thing was, they looked an awful lot like watermelons, cantaloupes, and Easter eggs filled with tootsie rolls!

   We went back with the kids and cut into the eggs. They were absolutely delicious! I personally enjoyed the Canteloposaurus eggs the best, but the kids really seemed to enjoy the Watermolosaurus and the Tootsie-Rollosaurus eggs the best!

   This was one of the most unique and fun events that I did all year and I want to thank the La Vista Recreation Department for allowing me to become a dinosaur egg hunter!

Light the Night

        I think I have avoided writing blogs for my last 4 appearances because I have been in denial about the fact that my time as Miss Kool-Aid Days was very quickly coming to an end. Now that my time is up, I feel I should share a little bit about my last few appearances and my last night as Miss Kool-Aid Days - which means there will be a fairly quick succession documenting my last few weeks representing the "Koolest" title in the state.
      July 13th I was able to attend the Omaha Owl Ride, a nighttime bike ride benefiting the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities. I was really excited to attend the ride as some of my fondest memories of volunteering have been at events for the Special Olympics and hearing loss groups.

With the director of the Munroe Meyer Institute

 

      I started my evening by helping with registration. It was great because I got to see people who dressed up and I got to see bikes that people decorated. The walk had a theme of Light the Night, so riders dressed in bright clothes and decorated themselves and their bikes with lights. It was great to see people getting into it.

Light up Mohawks!

      I also got to meet a young woman who works at the Munroe Meyer Institute. While I thought I knew exactly what the Institute was, I was wrong. The institute does not simply work with individuals who have disabilities, but they also do research and provide services for families who are dealing with special needs that they might need to learn about. As I consider the institute after passing on my title, I think it is one that I would love to volunteer at on a regular basis!

 

With my fellow volunteers :)

 

      After spending time with the lovely ladies pictured above, I had the opportunity to go to the stage, talk a little bit about my title and the Kool-Aid Days festival, and help judge a bike decorating contest! I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that Miss Kool-Aid Days would provide an opportunity for me to judge a bike contest, but I'm glad it did. It was awesome to see the different bikes that people had decorated - some had simple lights on the bike, some took it farther and integrated lights in their clothing, and one guy even got lights that projected a lane on the ground! The winning entry though was a set of friends who went all out, decorating their bikes and dressing up as Owls!

 

      Before I finished up my duties for the evening, I watched the start of the ride. I'm so happy I stayed to do so, because I learned about the leaders of the ride. The ride was led by a group of tandem bikes housing one rider and one individual with a disability. It seemed so appropriate that those who were being supported by the ride, and probably those most likely to enjoy it, got to lead it. I was fortunate enough to meet one of the young riders who was incredibly sweet!

      I am so thankful I was able to attend the event and learn about the Meyer Foundation and the Munroe Meyer Institute! I sincerely hope to work with them in the future!