Confessions of this Gal's Sinful Heart

Many of us wear labels across our foreheads.   Some are written in washable ink, others are deeply engraved into the skin.   They tell our story.   Some may say, “ ABUSED ”.   Others say “ ABANDONED ”.   No matter what our labels say, in our minds they define us and describe who we believe we are… In the summer of my seventeenth year, I got a letter in the mail.   It went something like this, “Dear Miss Joanne LaSorella, We are happy to inform you that you have nominated you to participate in the Miss Teen Florida Pageant.” I thought, “Me???   Miss Teen Florida?   Is this real?    Maybe some of the jerks at school are playing a cruel “Carrie” joke on me.”   But no, since my town didn’t require a preliminary competition, it was legit.   I never competed in a beauty pageant before.   Even with no experience and little talent I  desperately wanted to participate.   I knew my parents couldn’t afford to send...