I survived my weekend of traveling. I bet I put a million miles on that car. The rain made the trip seem longer. I had driven to Houston and then turned around and drove from Houston to Longview for another show there. There is no interstate between these two cities. So I had to take smaller highways and passed through many small towns. It would save me an hour of driving time also. And for the record, I only got lost once in Crockett Texas. Apparently they have something against road signs. I made it to Longview and checked into my hotel with plenty of time before the show. I have been to Longview a few times this year. The first time there was a luke warm reception. They are definitely stuck in small town mind set. They do not like outsiders.
The first time in Longview was several months ago. I was traveling with the pageant owners to Longview for an overnight trip. Michael and Bill are the cofounders of the Miss Gay Texas State Pageant system. Michael and Bill were to have a meeting with the owners of Decisions Club in Longview. They were to discuss possibly adding a Longview prelim to our pageant calendar. We also wanted to meet some local entertainers and let them know about our system. It was more of a public relations trip. I was also invited to perform a number during their regular Saturday night show. I thought it would be fun. Sometimes the real entertainment is the conversation in the dressing room. The girls in the dressing room were luke warm, to put it politely. Some might have called them the B word. Still I tried to keep my friendly smile and cheerful demeanor in light of their resistance. These girls reminded me of the girls back home in Wichita Falls. Their costumes were poorly made and looked pieced together with hot glue. Their hair was frizzy and dirty. They pulled it from their luggage and just put it on. They were very territorial. They did not like anyone from out of town invading their space. The dressing room was a back room that was cluttered. I found it interesting that there was a sign posted that said, “no on gets paid until the dressing room is cleaned” I assumed no one ever got paid form the looks of that room. One girl kept pulling clothes out of a duffle bag and adding accessories to her body. She would put fabric around herself and pin it with safety pins. This was so odd to me. I assume she didn’t have any real costumes and was just trying to fool the crowd into thinking she was wearing something elegant. The girls all wore minimal make up. They thought this made them look like real girls. But you could see the beard shadows underneath the powder. They were using drugstore makeup. I will never forget what I once hear “Cover girl does not cover boys.” These queens wore no nails, no lashes and no body padding. It was like I had gone back in time. This was the type of drag I left back home in Wichita Falls.
I continued to try to talk to the girls about anything. Wigs, makeup, costume efforts. But man it was hard. I threw out a few local names. That tactic seemed to spark some interest. Our Miss Texas State from the year before was from Longview. I tried to use her as an example. She is a great girl. Brittany Brooks had fallen right into our laps last year. She is a gold mine. No one knew her, but she came in and won the pageant! She is a solid entertainer and she fit well into the group. She is nothing like the other local girls in Longview. (That what’s makes her special.) She also used her years of experience to bring in some of the younger girls from her city. I wished Brittany had been there that night. It would have been easier to break the ice in that dressing room.
Longview was proving to be a tough place to visit. I did my numbers and the crowd seemed to like them. They appreciated my up beat numbers and dancing. I only had one minor incident. I was walking off stage and I was sweating. Apparently they don’t like to run the air conditioner. They had large fans, but it was still hot. I personally prefer a bar that is cold. I was sweating like a whore in church and crossed over to the bar area. My friends were there sipping their drinks. I had a short conversation and reached over for a few napkins to pat my dripping forehead. Perspiration through your make up is never pretty. If you pat it quickly you will reduce the loss of makeup. I quickly patted my face and returned to my conversation.
I heard the bartender raise his voice to me. Was he talking to me? I turned. “Hey, you can’t use our napkins, they cost money!” he yelled. Never had I been so rudely talked to. I replied in my fake southern girl voice, ” I’m sorry, I didn’t know. How much are they?” The bartender continued to tell me that local girls are always using them to wipe their faces and it cost the bar money. I quickly went from zero to Texas-bitch in record time. He suggested I use the paper towels in the men’s room.
I reached in to my bra for a wad of cash. I threw my crumpled money on the bar in front of him. His jaw dropped. I spoke in my most defiant voice “How much do they cost again? Buy yourself a whole package of napkins on me!” He voice broke as he was unsure how to react. “No, no. I don’t want your money.” He said. “keep it!” I said. He looked confused. I turned my shoulder in his direction while leaning on the bar“ I got more money if you need to pay for your precious napkins. You see honey, I love drag, but I have a real job. I work for a living. I work hard. I always have. And If I take something I’m not supposed to, I apologize and pay for it.“ I was so mad. Yes, I just let my bitch side come out. I held me head up and quickly returned to the dressing room.
I needed a second to cool off. The nerve of that guy. Not two minutes later, the door opened. It was Michael, one of the owners of Miss Texas State Pageant system. He was carrying a wad of money. “What the hell was that? Michael is an older gay man and some times tries to talk to me like a parent. (Sometimes I need it, especially when he is right) I explained to him what happened. And I told Michael that I didn’t appreciate being yelled out. I had already had enough attitudes from the girls in the dressing room and that was the last straw. I just lost it. Michael shook his head.
Michael and I have a unique friendship. “Mattie-Louise…” Michael said. Michael is the only one who calls me this. I think it’s funny when he says it. I was about to be scolded. I guess I deserved it. Michael has a way of calming me down, reasoning with me and explaining a better way to handle the situation. Yes, he is like a parent. I finished the night and had made a good impression on the Longview group. Except for one bartender, he probably still thinks I’m a bitch. The club scheduled their prelim pageant. That was our goal.
This past weekend was very similar. The local girls again acted as expected. Oh, well. This time I was not alone in the dressing room with them. That made it easier. I could see the envy in the local girls eyes as I pulled out my costumes. I have to admit. My drag is fierce. I was not going to let them get to me this time. Plus this late in my rein, I don’t care what they think. You can like me or not. I’m fine. They will continue to do what they do. I finished my last number in my crown and waved at the small crowd that struck around. I remember thinking in my head. This year has been so different than I thought it would be. Overall, I leaned a lot and I have grown as a person. I have leaned to help the girls who truly want help and not worry about the girls who look a hot mess. I also learned to bring my own hand towel to Decisions. Life is too short to worry about a few napkins.
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