Cowboys and DCC alumni from the past 50 years took the field during the half time performance in the game against the Eagles on Sun. Not only did I get to see the new Cowboys stadium for the first time, but I got to groove on the turf with ring of honor legends Roger Staubach and Randy White....just to name a couple. It truly was an honor to be there!
The weekend began with a trip to "the ranch" where baby Max got to hang out in the Cowboys Cheerleaders' locker room. He clearly loved it as you can tell. Regina and her kids were barking like a dog to get Max's attention for this picture. It had been a long time since I danced for hours on end in that studio, and it was definitely a new dynamic to walk in there with my baby. Like any good mom, I had my son's future in mind when we snapped that shot....bragging rights!
Sat. night we had a lovely dinner at Mi Cocina where I had a blast catching up with my old buddies and making friends with girls I had never even met before. It's so few and far between to be a part of this elite club limited to a number in the 500's. If you think about it, that is a very low number compared to all the girls in the world who would love to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
I especially love making friends with girls that cheered way before me because they have the best stories about the DCC history. We could compare notes for hours on how things have changed! None of us can believe how small the girls' poms are today. The girls from the 70's think we had it soooo easy in the 90's with a smaller version of the biggest poms. But now, we all agree that the current cheerleaders have such a light, fluffy sparkle in their hands that they hardly qualify as poms.
You may wonder what the big deal could possibly be. Cheerleaders have been carrying poms in their hands for years while they danced and maybe size does not matter. But the truth is that size is everything in the sport of cheerleading. When you are dancing for hours night after night in training camp and can't feel your numb arm muscles because they are so tired, it would mean the world to be able to drop a pom or at least have one a fraction of the size. So yeah, we compare notes about every little detail of every single change from then til now and it is fascinating!
We spent the whole entire day on Sunday at the brand new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. That arena is so crazy/huge and could be its own city. When you look up at the big screen, you are certain the ball could fly in your face if a player doesn't catch it. High definition on the movie theatre above the field puts that old jumbo-tron at Texas Stadium to shame. According to Texas standards, if it's bigger, it must be better, right! You can see the cheerleaders so clearly that they better not forget to pluck an eyebrow or they might look lopsided!
My favorite part of the whole entire weekend was at the end of our half time show. As I walked off the field, I took some moments to focus on the fans and remember my own experience as a DCC. It has been over a decade, but the memories came back as if it were yesterday. I looked at the celebratory uproar and soaked it all in. I just waved and waved and waved. And smiled of course. And waved. And waved.....
And when I walked back into that tunnel for the last time that weekend, I had tears in my eyes. I honestly could not believe I was so lucky to be there. It was a rare opportunity to enjoy the moment that I may not have done when I was a cheerleader. It's such a different experience at this point in my life.
I'm not a person full of regrets. I believe we live and learn, and if we make mistakes that somehow shapes us to be a better person in the future. But if I had to do it again, I would have done something differently. I would have taken out school loans and quit all my jobs to enjoy being a cheerleader in college. It would have been more than worth it to be one of America's Sweethearts for another year or two while furthering my education. It sucks that I have always been so fiscally aware and financially responsible!
Oh well, at least I still get to enjoy being a cheerleader with the alumni every few years. I can hear the tune in my head right now...."We are family!"
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