Beauty and the Beast...

This isn't the classic Disney tale of a beautiful young maiden, destined to save the soul of a disfigured and miserable young prince...

Mine is a tale of two highschoolers; a beautiful young woman and a handsome young man who, on the very same evening at approximately the same time, experienced a moment they won't soon forget.

I am both a bystander and participant in this "magical" evening.

Our tale begins at the annual high school beauty pageant...I am in the audience, cheering on the contestants with my trusty friend, Suzy. The contestant we are most interested in is Mackenzie, the daughter of our dear friend, Kathy.

Mackenzie looks beautiful, so talented, so poised! For the talent category, Mackenzie dances to a jazzed-up beat of Pocahontas' Colors of the Wind...actually, it was a very energetic and precise dance/tumbling presentation...I could easily do that!

All of the contestants did a great job, they all looked lovely. Such talented girls...how would the judges ever choose one winner? Dancing, singing, a piano solo...beautiful dresses, big smiles.

I know who should win!

Hey, look behind you, judges! I'll help you select the winner!

The queen of the evening should be this girl...



Mackenzie! Yes, this will be the girl who will wear the crown, I just know it!

She's talented, poised, a dazzling smile, so pretty. Yes, she's your girl!

Meanwhile, a few miles down the street is this boy, Jonathan.

He's gearing up, ready to step in the ring with who-knows-who? To punch, kick, jab...

He's been unable to fight for the past few weeks, due to an injury he suffered to the precise spot where a bone-growth had been removed.

He's ready, man!

Let the fighting begin!




Here he goes, giving it all the power he has, punching hard.

After all, he's been out of the ring for several weeks and he has a lot to prove.

But you know what happens in sparring when you unleash all your power?

Yup, you get even more power unleashed on you!

And then you end up here...

In the emergency room for six hours!

Jonathan received a hard punch to his temple and we didn't quite know what was happening to him...fingers clenched, tingling/numbness, distorted vision...

A cat scan, two Motrin and $250 later...

The evening ended well for both Beauty and the Beast...

The Beauty didn't win a crown, but she competed well.

The Beast was clocked on his crown, but he competed strong.

And yet, both won in a roundabout way...

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."

It's not the prize that the Beauty and the Beast will forever remember, it's the experience of participating in the event that will remain with them.

Go children.

Make mommy and daddy another memory!