My Prom Date

The Geo Metro didn't make an appearance for this important evening. My cousin's Isuzu Rodeo did. Hey, I thought it was a great ride. Who knew that everyone else in a small farm town had connections to someone with a luxury car. Maybe the reason for a Junior Prom is to give you practice so you can get everything right for Senior Prom. My prom date, for instance, was looking forward to when it was her turn to buy a dress that fit her better, since she was wearing her older sister's from a previous year.

A formal evening together was a little awkward at first, but moving from one thing to the next helped with conversation. My youngest brother (about age 7) made the funniest, most memorable, and probably the best compliment of the evening. The first thing he shouted out loud and clear to my date when we walked into my home was "you sure have nice teeth." She did have a nice smile--very photogenic. It was funny to hear her laugh as she politely thanked him.

It was actually fun to dress up for something, to look nice, and to act the part. I felt like a real gentleman opening her door, helping her with her coat, and into her seat at the table, dancing, and genuinely trying to be polite all around. But I'm sure both of our lack of dating experience showed, in fact I remember laughing about that very thing. After prom was a little more relaxing and the high school put on a good party for it. The best thing about my date is the values we shared. We both respected each other. We had a mutual trust that allowed us to be more comfortable than others were that night. We knew that neither of us would act out of character. Getting drunk and sleeping around wasn't in our nature normally, so prom would be no exception, and we didn't have to worry about ruining our friendship.

When I couldn't readily find a date of my choosing, I declined the expense of going with the same girl to Senior Prom when she asked me over the phone the next year, but I was glad I had gone with her to Junior Prom and had an enjoyable experience overall.