Farewell Miss New York.
______________________________
My mom said when she enlarges the farewell letter, she still can't read it, so making the very long blogpost I was trying to avoid, here is what the letter says:
Saying goodbye is something I’ve never been very good at, but it is something I have done a few important times in my life in order to chase my dreams and take every opportunity to achieve them. It’s what brought me here—here to New York and here to this stage. This year, I accomplished so many goals because of the incredible opportunities I had as Miss New York. It has been a year of a lot of hard work and dedication, some stumbles and falls, life-defining experiences, times of gut-wrenching laughter, the same extreme of tears, and undeniable growth as a person, a friend, a communicator – both speaker and listener – a sister and daughter, and of course as an advocate. I have found my passion; I have found myself; I have found so many others; I have found my purpose.
All of these experiences and revelations could not have affected me to the extent that they did without the people who influenced me and impacted my year…
Over the last few years, I have kept a journal of random inspirational quotes. When I first open the first page, I see in large capitol letters, “I WON THE PARENT LOTTERY.” –Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture. Mom and Dad, (wow, cue tears…) I did. Thank you for your immeasurable gifts as leaders, as servants, as friends and as backbones. You have afforded me opportunity after opportunity, but more importantly, you have provided me with the freedom to be independent, the values and upbringing to be a confident leader, and you have held me accountable for my actions and their effect on the world around me, constantly challenging me to use them for positive change.
Sarah, you have been my inspiration. Thank you for being so confident in yourself and open such that I—we—could have the maximum effect this year and throughout continuing advocacy. I have been constantly motivated by your spirit and positive outlook on the world. Hannah, you have kept me grounded, reminding me that “Miss NY is not a title that guarantees great things or great change. It’s the person who does so.” Sean and Danielle, you have brought something else into my life – balance and normalcy. Pride and excitement aside, your dedication to your family in the midst of building your own is inspiring, and Logan makes me smile every time I get overwhelmed or frustrated.
To the Miss New York Board of Directors: you keep me busy. But in this, you have allowed me to give back in the way that you know I crave. You have given me incredible freedom to make this year the most personal and the best for me as an individual, encouraging my authenticity in preparation for Miss America and in helping to lead this organization forward. Paul, you just have a heart that is unmatched. Linda, you have a humor that never fails to entertain as well as such a sincere dedication to this organization. Kenny, you were able to give me continuity in a rebuilding and transitional year and grow this organization with its exciting move to SI, and I will never forget the Hamptons. Faith, I know I owe you a phone bill and a stress-releasing massage for the hundreds of conversations we have had together – Dreamweaver and Photoshop aside. Judy and Diane, thank you for your countless emails and phone calls back and forth with so many different organizations and schools to help me spread my message to the maximum amount of people. And to the number of other volunteers—Ken, Gene, Kelli, Barbara, Jim, Terry, Bill, Marylou, Jackie, Local Executive Directors and many more—you at times go seemingly unnoticed, but I am so thankful for the value that you bring to this organization and the support you weave into our sometimes tangled web.
Leigh-Taylor, you have truly covered the gamut from idol to friend, mentor, roommate and ‘sister.’ I am eternally grateful for your endless hours of support that went beyond interview preparation and back to our couch, day in and day out. You challenged me to go so far beyond the goals I had in sight and to be a voice on behalf of those who are smothered by stigma and stereotype.
Thank you to Kandice and Hannah – women who have understood the journey to Miss America and imparted their wisdom on my own…with fashion expertise (and champagne) along the way. And to my roommates Carlie and Matt, thank you for putting up with so much pageant, believing in me and supporting me pride from the beginning – literally since my very first pageant when I wore your dress, Carlie.
I received the advice to keep my “team” small, just to the people who had the most positive influence one, and I did. But my pageant family and my inspiration was large. From years of involvement in MAO, I have developed the most incredible cheering squad from New York, Indiana, DC, Tennessee, New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia and constantly increasing to more. I am so thankful for the light that you all bring into my life. What grew even more insanely large was my group of allies and support of my platform Straight for Equality: Let’s Talk. I cannot even begin to name all of the organizations and people with whom I have worked this year (see p. __)
but these numerous individuals and non-profits have been the foundation of my year and my channels for change, leadership and advocacy. Within the pageant world, so many said I should change my platform if I wanted to even think about winning, but every single one of the organizations I have worked with empowered me and reminded me of exactly why I could and should succeed with such a message of equality and fundamental respect and dignity.
To my Miss America sisters, Alyse, Katie U., Arianna, Adrienne, Emoly, Katie L., Cris, Pauli, Nicole, Loren R., Caroline & Ashleigh…we have experienced unbelievable things together, and I am forever grateful for our growing friendships. To my Miss Americas Katie Stam, Kirsten Haglund, Kate Shindle & Heather French Henry, thank you for being inspirations and giving invaluable insight into the realities of this ethereal yet seemingly attainable dream.
After reading countless emails and Facebook messages of thanks, sharing and inspiration, and beyond writing more than 115 blogs, I write my final farewell to a journey of actually five years: one I know is not ending but instead being redirected on a different path. I will never leave the Miss America Organization (sorry, you’re stuck with me!), because I want more than anything to empower every young woman to get everything out of this organization and experience that she can. It can and will change your life, but I believe the world is cyclical – you get out of it what you put into it. ‘Tis true about the job of Miss New York: “It’s not about how to achieve your dreams…it’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.”
“Wow, that is the epitome of a person appreciating this day and this moment.” BE THAT PERSON. This is how I challenged myself in my journal, and it is what sustained me throughout the year. Even with that effort, because of the magnitude of the experiences I have had this year, I still do not think I have or perhaps ever will comprehend what and whom I encountered. I may never realize the effect I had on others, but they will most certainly never realize the effect they have had on me. The legacy I hope to leave behind, holding authenticity in highest regard, is not because the stand I took this year in my advocacy was “groundbreaking” but instead because those actions, the compassion, the drive was all part of “the right thing to do.”
As Miss Southeast NY, in my interview for MNY 2010, I said “Regardless of whether or not I win Miss New York, I will continue in my advocacy with or without the crown.” That is exactly what I plan to do by pursuing a Master’s degree and career path that will continually challenge my growth and strength as a leader in this fight for equality, riding on the momentum created by this sparkly headpiece that has taken me beyond what I thought I was capable of this year and into the hearts and minds of so many people beyond this place I call home, placing me at “the national dinner table” because after all, “Nothing was taboo at the Buffie dinner table.”
Peace,
Claire Buffie
Miss New York 2010
I’m still photographing A LOT through my own business (www.clairebuffie.com) dabbling in event planning with Paradigm Event Management through Teri Galvez (Miss DC Exec Director). I’m undergoing new website development and expanding my business a bit to include some of the marketing and public relations skills I’m developing in class. Toying around with Clarity Branding by Claire Buffie.
