Summer was upon me. I weeded farmers fields in Hollandale to make some change. (It was literally change, I was paid $4.75 an hour, minimum wage at the time.) I can't say I liked the job because you guessed it: I had to sweat. It was a fun time though as I was working with a trio of sisters from Hollandale that made the time go by fast, and we could discuss all things pop culture and boy related. Even then I was learning the importance of having fun with your co workers.
Every other year then, Hollandale had a big festival. Hollandale Harvest Festival. Initially it was meant to be had in the fall as a celebration of the crops and the fall harvest. There was a parade, royalty, and a massive meal with the bountiful harvest. Over the years there were changes made, and by the time I knew about the festival it was in the summer time because the fall got too busy for all the farmers. The festival kept its original name as "Harvest Fest" even if we were having it in July. There was still a parade, royalty, but now there was a small kiddie carnival and fried foods that were not farmer approved.
I was pushing the ripe age of 16 that summer when I was approached by a local business and asked if they could sponser me for the Queen Coronation that is part of the Harvest Festival. Local businesses would pick girls from the town and surrounding area to sponser for the event. Of course I was pumped because a lot of my Hollandale friends were going to be part of it..and more importantly, I got to be in a PARADE! I said yes immediately. I had no shame that the business I was to represent was that fabulous John Deere dealership that my dad worked for. (Shout out to Ag Power Enterprises! I like to think getting mentioned in my blog is a big deal, and who doesn't love free publicity, even if it's in the form of a blog that about a dozen people read.) I was just glad I got to be part of the queenly activities. Here's how the judging goes in Hollandale to be the queen: A business needs to sponser you, you go to a 'tea' where there are judges. You interact with the girls, play some games, get interviewed, then show up on the day of the event, go to the coronation, announcement made, you ride in a parade as the queens/runners up. Pretty simple and basic. Just like Hollandale.
The night of the tea came...yes, I said night because Hollandale is a town of pioneers, they will have tea whether it's the afternoon or not. I got there STARVING because it was around dinner time...and get this...there was minimal food. I played a few games with the other Queen candidates, as I recall, I was dominating in the game of Scategories...or Taboo..can't remember. When suddenly it was my turn to be interviewed by the judges. Oh dear, I was having so much fun playing the games and filling up on lemonade (Yeah, no tea either...lemonade!) that I forgot what I was really there for! People were going to judge me. The walk down the hallway to where the judges were felt like a walk on death row. I opened the door and there sat 3 judges. 2 females, and a dude. They motioned for me to sit down, and I did. The next half an hour I just talked my head off! They wanted to talk about my best subject. ME. I rambled about school, my 15, soon to be 16 year old philosophies on life, what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had them doubled over in fits of laughter...I walked out the door, and knew, there wasn't a chance in hell I was going to be the Queen. I had just blacked out for half an hour in a talking frenzy with 3 perfect strangers. I was pretty sure even Queens, that were to rule over a land of delicious vegetables, wouldn't be laughing at her own jokes...maybe there was some kind of a court jester I could win! I went back to the game...and finally cake and ice cream was served. I proceeded to have 2 pieces of cake and 3 bowls of ice cream. It was late by then and I was hungry.
Next thing I knew it was the day of the coronation. I was wearing a slenderizing black sleeveless dress...then realized I was going to have to act lady like as people watched me cross the stage. Shit. If there was one thing I wasn't (nor am I today) is graceful. Up to that point, I had a blast, chatting with the other girls, meeting those nice judges...I just had to make it across the stage and say in the mircrophone my name and who my sponser is...WAIT I forgot the BEST part! The coronation is done on the back of a semi truck bed! Yup, pulls right up to the park, they throw some make shift stairs up by it, and the girls in their dresses hike on up to the semi truck bed. Only the best would do for the royalty. Up I hike to the semi bed...dress didn't get caught on the stairs, focused on not falling down, and finally I was in position and ready to hear who the Hollandale Harvest Festival Queen was going to be. They called the second and first runner up...and I was excited for them, with anticipation growing about who the Queen would be...I knew who I thought it was going to be...getting ready to watch her face, and see if she does a Ms. America teary break down....drum roll please............."This year's Harvest Fest Queen is: Megan Radke!" Wait..why is everyone looking at me? Oh...F*&%K. They just said my name didn't they? Wait...Is that a microphone that guy is holding out to me??....I slowly walked towards it...Missing the fact that they wanted to put the crown on my head, because all I could think of is that the entire town of Hollandale is my audience, and I was getting a microphone to talk! Don't know what I said, tried to remember to thank my sponser and encouraged everyone to go to them for the John Deere needs...but for those few minutes I could tell I had Hollandale loving my crazy antics.
Potato Queen Radke, with runner's up and the previous queen of veggies.So began the reign of the German/Norwegian Queen, ruler of potatoes...and all things Dutch.
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