A Visit From Miss America

It isn’t often that a Miss America drops by my office to say “hello.”  It did happen once, however, in the mid 1980’s. Scout’s honor.

“Debra Maffett to see you,” my receptionist announced.

I had no idea who she was, and she hadn’t scheduled an appointment.

But apparently Debra felt she didn’t need an appointment.  She mentioned the name of a mutual friend, David Beaird, a film director, and I agreed to see her.

It was then I remembered he had told me he was referring Miss America to me for financial advice. Even before she walked in, I was tongue-tied. I had never met a Miss America before. But our visit turned out well, because of her, not me. She was beautiful, yes, but she was also intelligent and personable, and she certainly carried the conversation.

I don’t believe she invested with me, but I was impressed with how knowledgeable she was about money. Especially because so many people are not financially literate. It made me realize that we shouldn’t judge people by their looks (or in this case – their beauty) alone.

Why did I just remember this?  Probably because I was watching a TV show on CNN hosted by Eva Longoria. I believe she was also a former beauty pageant winner.  She is certainly personable and intelligent.

But I digress, and that is a lot more fun than progress which involves setting goals and measuring growth (and that sounds too structured and decidedly unfun).

So next time you find yourself spending time with a beauty queen, remember the old adage – beauty is only skin deep. If you look past the pretty face, perhaps you’ll find, as I did, someone who is generous and thoughtful and kind. And aren’t those the attributes we should be celebrating in one another? Isn’t that who we want to encourage our children to grow up to become?

As for Miss America, maybe we should simply crown the woman with the best character. And that is a person who will always be welcome in my office.

Alan