Thursday, May 10, 2007

Prom Time

I'm trying to start a new book. Whine, groan, grumble. I am not an author who delights at an empty computer screen.

Rather than bore you all to tears with my whining, I'll introduce a new topic--it's also prom time at the MacKenzie house. Since the prom goer in this abode is male, there's not a whole heck of a lot of excitement here. No shopping for clothes--the kid has already gone to rent-a-tux. I remembered to order the corsage--yes, I suppose the kid should be doing this, but I'm thinking of the girl here. I've been trying to pry some bits of a plan out of him, and I've supplemented those efforts by calling the parents of his friends. Since he goes to an all male high school, this means I'm talking to mothers of boys--the blind leading the blind--but whatever. I'm happy to say the picture is beginning to come into focus. Nice, since prom is tomorrow.

Anyway, in honor of the event, I invite anyone who dares to share a detail or two of his or her prom experience. I'll start, shall I? I went to an all girls high school. One of my friends set me up for the senior prom. I spent the pre-prom dinner upstairs in my friend's bedroom, in agony with killer menstrual cramps (can we say that on this blog?). My date was an aspiring priest who worked after school at a funeral home. (No, I am not making that up.) He came up to hold my hand and practice being sympathetic. When we finally got to the prom, he promptly deserted me to go minister to a boy who was throwing up in the men's room.

As to the rest of the evening? Hmm. I can't say I remember--the noteworthy stuff really happened up front. And then he invited me to his prom a few weeks later, but it was just a normal prom. I don't remember a thing about it.

So, any amusing--or touching--prom stories out there in cyberland? Was it a dream come true? (That includes nightmares.) Or did you, like my husband and third son, just give it a pass?

15 comments:

Cory said...

For my senior prom one of my friends BEGGED me to take her best friend. She had transferred schools that year after getting married, and wanted him at her prom. She was going to bring her husband. First time I met this guy, I thought he seemed cool, in the moody dangerous way. Second time I just thought he was a stupid ass.
Well, prom rolls around, and her husband doesn't come. Since I'd decided I didn't like him, I tried to get her to be his date. No dice. I think he danced with me once, then went to be moody in a corner by himself.
At my friends after-prom party we relized that he was just high and he started dancing in the street. I'm just glad I didn't have to see him again!!!

Kristi Cook said...

WOW, Sally--I'm not sure anyone can possibly top that prom story! I mean, from the cramps, to the date-with-an-aspiring-priest...I almost spit my tea on my screen, laughing.

My proms (I went junior and senior year, with the same guy--our prom was a 'junior/senior' prom) were so mundane as to be totally forgettable. We ate out at a fancy restaurant (which, considering I lived in a beach town, meant everyone else in khaki shorts and polo shirt, with me in a formal gown--it was the 80s--and my boyfriend in a tux), spent a few hours at a fairly boring prom at the Officer's Club (the beach town was also an Air Force Base town), and then hung out at the beach before arriving home at a fairly reasonable hour.

If my memory serves me, no alcoholic beverages were even consumed--at least, not by me.

Sally MacKenzie said...

I'd say that was quite a story, Cory, though I'm sort of taken with your friend's story, too. The thought of being married in high school and bringing your husband to the prom...or not, as it seems to have turned out...boggles my mind. Was the husband a high school student, too? Thinking of my seventeen year old senior married...well, that is just scary on so many levels. And as to the high date--good thing all he did was dance in the street!

Kristi, can I say as a parent, I'm really hoping my son has a very boring prom just like yours?

Anonymous said...

I went to the prom with my brother's friend. I was in the 8th grade - an early bloomer, and no, Caroline, that doesn't mean *fast.* The guy was okay...he talked a lot and danced like Snoopy, but hey, I was wearing a dress that looked like I was getting married on Star Trek, so I guess we were even.

My mom made me take that guy to my 8th grade formal. I didn't want to, but did, and while a lot of the girls seemed to think it was cool that I was dating a senior and he DROVE, he still danced like Snoopy and he talked incessantly.

Apparently, these two dates convinced the lad we were seriously dating, and flowers, gifts, and MORE DATES followed, until I couldn't date him any more just to keep Mom happy (she really liked the ones who came and chatted her up). I broke up with him, and two days later he got drunk and drove his car through his parents' garage door. I am certain the two incidents were unrelated, however, I never again attended a school dance or another prom.

Kristi Cook said...

OMG, Tracy!!! Now that's a story...and yeah, that would probably turn me off from proms/dances, too. Yikes!!

Unknown said...

One of the churches that is big in this area doesn't believe in dancing so we didn't have a prom. We had a banquet :Þ

Wendy Roberts said...

Well here in Canuk-ville we have Grads, not proms. I was going through a heavy metal rocker stage (no disco for this girl). The gown style was prissy and poofy so I wore a sleek black dress and stood out like a sore thumb. My date was drunk and tossed his cookies in the parking lot. That's all I remember.

Sally MacKenzie said...

Oh, Tracy, yipes! An 8th grader and a high school senior...gives me the shivers. I have to give my current senior credit--last year when he was a junior he met a nice girl, but when he found out she was in 8th grade, he quickly revised his thinking. Funny, though, but when we hit the "grown up" world, the 8th grade to senior age difference--three or four years, right?--is nothing. And funny about the Snoopy dancing. I can just picture it.

Jackietoo, your story reminded me of my mom's prom. This was back in the early 1930s. She also went to an all girls high school, and the nuns did not allow boys in the school--where there prom was held. So they had a prom, just no boys.

Well, Wendy, your dress sounds quite classy. You should have seen the dress I wore to the junior prom. I'm not sure it was prissy or poofy, but it sure was...ick. Long sleeves, high neck, just...dowdy. Of course, I'd like to see a lot more cloth in the dresses some of the young ladies wear today...if you can call the scraps of fabric dresses. (I am the mother of boys, you know.)

Anonymous said...

I understand, Sally. I have one son, and if he brings home a girl like me, I'm going to have something to say about it.

If having kids is Cosmic Justice for all the bad stuff we did as children, I'm doomed.

Thus far, the boy is just like me. It does not bode well. My poor German. He did nothing to deserve two of us.

Sally MacKenzie said...

Well, I don't think any of the girls my guys have brought home are much like me, so you probably have nothing to worry about, Tracy. Hee hee.

Phoebe Belsley said...

8TH GRADE???? You went to prom in 8th grade? Well, Tracy honey, all I can say is, I hope he didn't want you for your body.

I have no good prom stories. Because I was such a Good Girl. Sally would have been so, so proud of me (then).

Lois said...

Alas, I didn't go to my prom, simply because I'm not the dance/party type. I don't remember what I did that night, but I know I liked it more than I would have otherwise. LOL :)

Lois

Sally MacKenzie said...

Oh, you're still a good girl, aren't you, Caroline?

Lois, my husband isn't the dance/party type either. He chose to skip his prom--actually our third son did, too, both junior and senior year. It is an amazing expense for one night.

Jennifer said...

I went to prom with a guy who I had been dodging for weeks, but who finally cornered me, and I didn't have the guts to say no. Who I really wanted to be going to prom with was my fresh out of college, hot teacher, but we all know that is a big no no. I did end up dating him (the hot teacher) after I graduated, and we got married! Our 4th anniversary is coming up in June. :)

Sally MacKenzie said...

LOL, Jennifer. Yes, dating the hot teacher when you were still in high school probably would have gotten him fired--or maybe even arrested! Glad you had a happy ending finally.

I have to say from reading all these stories, the supposedly romantic evening--prom night--doesn't sound like it belongs in a romance novel--or maybe only for comic relief!