My name is Brandy.  Brandy Brooke-Haven Ribeaud.  I am nine years old, and I am best friends with Katherine Suzanne McComb, who just wrote about herself.  Well, it's my turn.

I too compete in pageants, but I enjoy what I do.  I enjoy the attention, the people clapping/cheering for what I do (be it singing, modeling, or making the people smile, making them happy), and performing in general.  I have always loved being on stage, and I guess being in pageants is a natural thing for me to do.

Now, people get all bent out of shape when I mention I do pageants, but I don't really see anything wrong with it, no, not really.  I love to look pretty, and I love modeling the latest clothes for people, and I especially love getting the people excited when I do a good old fashioned country hoedown number.  That's another thing.  I want to be a country music singer when I grow up, and I want to sing on the Grand Ole Opry.

Some famous pageant participants have become famous, people like Brandy Panfili (she tours with the national production of "Annie", and she's a great singer), Katherine Cue (she was on this show called "Destination Stardom" when she was a child, and she brought the house down with her strong vocal performances), and others.  Some have gone on to become famous singers or movie/television stars, and I think I'd love to do that, too.

Some people don't understand how good it makes me feel when I get all prettied up before a competition (without my makeup I am not that pretty:  have too big of a nose, straight, stick-thin hair, and I am embarrassed about my big horse teeth).  I get teased a lot when I don't have my makeup or my hair done, and sometimes it gets so bad I cry. 

I don't have that many friends excepting for the ones I met while in pageants, and they have been among the nicest girls I've known.  Like Katherine McComb.  She's stuck by my side like glue, and I can't imagine not knowing her.  She's been a huge blessing in my life.

If I could look as pretty as I do when I do pageants every day, then I'd feel better about myself.  I don't have that good of a self esteem, which surprises a lot of people, because when I do my pageants, I'm all happy, smiley, bubbly.  On the outside, I'm cool as a cucumber while on the inside, I'm dying, falling apart about how ugly I really am.  This is when I'm glad that people don't see the real me; they'd laugh me right off the stage.

I do pageants as a way to boost my self image, and also to work through my shyness.  Mama says I've become a much better person because of the pageants, and she's very proud of me when I perform well.  I am proud of me too; as I said, I want to be a huge country star, and I think pageants will help my wish come true .

Well, I have to get ready (another pageant later); hopefully I'll do well.  If not, it's no loss.  I can try again next time.  I'd best get my fiddle and practice my vocal warmups before the competition; I want to be at my absolute best when I hit that stage!!

I will write in here again soon; take care!  This is Brandy signing off! Bye!

~Brandy Brook-Haven Ribeaud, aged nine (future Grand Ole Opry star!). :D