I am just seeing this article today. What a surprise! Thank you HER Magazine! ❤️ Photo by Brian Jones - https://www.facebook.com/idolmindzmedia/

FOLLOWING THE MRS. TEXAS PAGEANT
I am still currently in the process of collecting my thoughts and sorting through all the photos from my Mrs. Texas 2018 experience. I am not in a hurry as immediately following Mrs. Texas I hit the ground running with new projects and goals that will be forthcoming. I look forward to sharing it all with you when I am ready and prepared to make an announcement.
I haven’t wanted to share my experience without reflecting and preparing all of my thoughts in one written piece. However, with the headlines exploding over the “swimsuit controversy,” I too feel compelled to share my thoughts and my experience, or at least a small snippet of my experience in regards to the beauty pageant and the 2018 swimsuit competition controversy.
MISS AMERICA MAKES HEADLINES
The Miss America organization just announced scrapping the swimsuit competition portion of the pageant in an effort to take steps to judge contestants more on their inner beauty. Honesty, when I read the news, the inner feminist in me wanted to applaud the decision as I wholeheartedly support focusing on inner beauty FIRST AND FOREMOST. #focusoninnerbeautyfirst
KNOW THE REQUIRMENTS, EXPECTATIONS, and QUALIFICATIONS
When choosing to participate in something, you need to know what the requirements and expectations are prior to committing. If you are unable to fulfill the requirements you may need to hold off on committing until you are ready to meet the obligations. Perhaps you may want to find something else to do if you are not willing to fulfill the requirements or expectations of whatever it is you are wanting to participate in. For example, if you despise running, signing up for a track team may not be ideal. If you are terrified of swimming, you may not want to join the swim team. Perhaps you enjoy swimming and made it to the Olympics but the designated swimming uniform for the Olympic competition is just “too revealing and demeaning,” that is something you should have considered prior to committing to the requirements.
I have never signed up to participate in a spelling bee - then, complained because I was required to spell words (I’ll never be in a spelling bee due to requirements). Should swim competitions alter their standards or requirements to be more inclusive to people who don’t know how to swim or the people who are terrified of the water?
I cannot tell you the answers. I don’t have the answers. What I do know for certain is prior to signing the dotted line you need to know what you’re getting into prior to committing. You MUST know and agree to the requirements prior to committing.
MY SWIMSUIT COMPETITION EXPEREINCE AND THOUGHTS
I had an experience….
I chose to compete in the Mrs. Texas pageant. I had my reasons which I plan to tell you all about at a later date. For now, let’s just focus on the swimsuit buzz. In the swimsuit portion of the Mrs. Texas pageant, I had to be brave, fierce, and fearless. I did prepare ahead of time just as most anyone would that intends to get on stage in front of hundreds of people (billions really) because it’s all on the internet, FOREVER and parade around in a swimsuit.
* SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER?
Prior to competing I was a healthy size 12/14. I embrace my body – love it and feel like my curves are extremely feminine. I enjoy food and eating. I’ve felt beautiful at every size. At the time of the pageant I was in a size 8, I still am at the current moment. I’ve ranged in sizes over the years (and continue to do so) and keep my clothes organized from sizes 2-14. Post pageant car talk with Becky (my mother), “None of those girls in the top ten were a size 8. They were all a size 0 or size 2.” Yes…that is a different story for a different day (not for this discussion) and no I don’t know what sizes the women were nor do I care but I share that with you to pose the following questions: “Does size really matter? Does size depict our health and beauty?”
* INNER BEAUTY
My beauty comes from within. It is not my exterior that exudes beauty. I find it shallow and demeaning when people see me for my exterior only and are not able to fully grasp my value beyond my exterior shell. Recently I have learned that for those that see my exterior only, it is because that is what they value in themselves. We see the world as we see ourselves. I can stand next to anyone and I’m going to feel just fine about myself. I don’t spend my time comparing myself to others. I am an educated, professionally licensed mental health practitioner, leader, and teacher. I have an assortment of titles and hats that I wear on a daily basis. None of these titles nor my dress size define me. None of those things are a measure of my worth. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to me, beauty goes beyond the flesh and a list of accomplishments. I felt perfectly fine in a swimsuit in the Mrs. Texas pageant. It’s just me and my body both of which I’m comfortable with.
I knew it was a requirement when I elected to compete. With all of my confidence, healthy self-efficacy, and self-worth; I totally felt just fine in a swimsuit as a size 8, with psoriasis on my arms and legs, missing hair from alopecia aerate, in high heels, on stage for billions to see.
* CONFESSION
As okay as it was with me to be running around in a swimsuit on stage, I must admit I do not feel it was a valid measure of my beauty, fitness, or health. Furthermore, I wondered as I was doing it if it may cause me professional employment issues currently or in the future.
PAGEANTS AND THINGS TO PONDER
Mrs. pageants are for married women. I’m not a pageant statistical expert but I believe I can safely venture to say that the majority of pageants in the world are for minors – girls who are 18 and under. I think it would behoove us to consider for just a moment what messages judging a minor in a swimsuit, in a “BEAUTY” pageant promotes. No, I have not conducted an empirical study but I would certainly be interested in conducting one or reading studies that have been conducted on the multi-billion dollar beauty pageant industry. Also, I’m wondering about the age old question, “Does size really matter?” Perhaps a study on the top and winning contestant's body measurements throughout history on both state and national level pageants could shed some light on:
1. Does size really matter?
2. What does our society value in women?
3. How does our society define beauty?
4. What messages are we sending our youth about beauty?
That particular study alone wouldn’t be enough to answer all the questions above but it would be interesting and the findings and conclusion would certainly be noteworthy.
PROS
I do realize that for some, the swimsuit competition portion of a beauty pageant pushes a contestant to be their “best” body in a swimsuit. It can be liberating to compete in a swimsuit, it could possibly be the most proud moment in someone’s life. There is much to be gained through pushing your personal limits as hard as you can in an effort to be your personal best in any aspect. I always say, “Do your best; that is all you can ever do – YOUR BEST.”
Pageants are a sport. They require preparation, practice, skill, dedication, determination, and will cost you money. Just as with sports, there is a lot to be gained through the ENTIRE PROCESS. I have gained plenty in my one Mrs. Texas experience. I promise to share all that I’ve gained with you (in detail) at a later date.
WHAT IF
I am not a pageant expert by any means as my pageant experiences are molecular in size in comparison to those who compete regularly as their sport or hobby. I’m not slamming pageants or the bold, gifted, talented, intelligent, accomplished, goal-driven women who compete in them but change is NOT always bad. I mean what would the world be today without change. Perhaps a birth to a new beauty competition of a different kind or a different type of competition all together will emerge from this new innovative thought process of valuing inner beauty that has caused such controversy across the U.S.
CLOSING REMARKS
All I can report on is how I felt about the swimsuit portion of the pageant and all the questions that have come to my mind with my own experience and the latest controversy. I do believe a pageant system is allowed to have their requirements and I’m pretty firm in my belief that if you do not wish to meet the requirements of something, then you just don’t get to participate. I hope that something positive will emerge from all the controversy.
DISCLAIMER
I am not trying to diminish anyone’s positive experience and love for the swimsuit competition. I am merely sharing my own experience and thoughts on MY WEBSITE. Also, I am aware I very much so need an editor.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Please share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

I am passionate about mental health! It’s my life’s work and I love it. I have dedicated my life to mental health and suicide prevention. Outside of my love for Christ and the people in my life that I love; mental health and suicide prevention mean the world to me. My journey here has been arduous, fascinating, enriching, and meaningful. This is my calling and my meaning and purpose in life. #texarkana #mentalhealthpractitioner #mentalhealth #psychology #afsp #stopsuicide #lovethebroken #lovetheflawed #weareallhuman #judgmentisnotyourjob #resilience #icare #teamcain #caintxk @ Texarkana, Texas

Saturday, May 5, 2018 5:45PM
​Dear Texarkana, 
The Mrs. Texas pageant started at 5:30PM.  I’m sorry to inform you, I did not make the top 20. I am officially out of the game. I will update this website and provide more details at a later date. Your love and support mean the world to me. This experience has been an experience of a lifetime (interesting and comical), and I promise to tell you all about it later on my website. It will definitely make a great chapter in my book. I am okay. The ONLY thing I feel bad about is all the money spent on this adventure. However, this wasn’t for a title. This experience was to celebrate my accomplishments; to celebrate everything I’ve done and everything I’ve come through. I wanted to celebrate it all in one single event. I’m glad I was able to do that and I thank you for helping me and making it a great experience. I do not welcome condolences, as I feel great, ALWAYS. I came in feeling good and I am leaving feeling even better. Thanks for your encouragement. Peace. Love. Joy. I am enough! You are enough! I thank you for your love and support. Tonight, I’m going to have some fun and yes, I’m having fun right now, back stage singing really LOUD and making myself laugh. I thank you for helping me, loving me, and supporting me.  Even without the Mrs. Texas title, I won and I’m a winner because of all of you who made me feel like a WINNER every step of the way! Thank you! THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
Sincerely, 
Erica Cain
Mrs. Texarkana FOREVER
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​P.S. I am working on putting together my experience from start to finish as I competed for the Mrs. Texas title.  This is going to be an all-inclusive story.  It will be a must read! Stay tuned!  It will take me some time to put it all together.  

Rehearsal all day every day and you better do it with enthusiasm and a smile at all times.  

Look at these flowers that came from Tom and Jean and  roses from my in-laws. Wow! I am loved and that means more to me than anything else in this world. The pageant... it was an interesting experience and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. You know I love entertaining you with my stories, this one is definitely going to be an entertaining story. I talk in stories.  I have stories for days.  I have never felt so loved in all of my life.  Thank you to my friends, my family, fans, supporters, Texarkana, and to the man I love - my husband, Eric.  Praise God for all this love and all these loving people!