Prom season has arrived. For the last few Saturdays at work the salon has been filled with anxious giggling girls as they prepare for their big night.
I have had more than my share of young ladies in my chair fussing about their hair, make up, shoes, nail polish.
All this prom fever going around has had me thinking of my own prom.
Since I grew up in such a small town, I must confess that I have been to at least 7 proms that I can think of off the top of my head. We had Senior proms, Jr Proms, Sadie Hawkens, and I am sure a homecoming or two.
I also went to proms with people from other schools.
With all those proms, you would think I would have a myriad of tales to tell. I have in my trunk a box of dried up corsages (why I keep them I have no idea, since non of them are marked who they are from).
I have a few napkins stating which prom I was at, and I believe even a few match books, which tells you how long ago the proms I attended were.
I am not sure I was ever directly asked to prom by my date. I think more often than not it was the date's friend that would corner me near my locker and say, "Hey, so and so wants you to go to prom...so yes?" I would say yes to the messenger and send him off on his way to relay the response.
I can recall prom dress shopping. I can recall getting ready for the various proms.
Most proms we were driven in a limousine that was hired for the evening. Some proms I was driven in my date's car.
One prom I ended up in the bathroom crying because my date was such an ass. I later actually dated him for almost a year.
One prom I went to with my best friend's boyfriend as she was out of town and he and I ended up making out.
One prom I wore a tuxedo as it was my best friend's senior prom and she had asked me.
When I was even younger I remember my eldest brother's prom. He had a pre-prom party at out house and I milled about fascinated with all the pretty girls that looked like Marcia Brady and all the boys in pastel tuxedos with ruffled collars. They looked so glamorous. My brother's date wore sparkly blue eye shadow to match her pale blue dress, which of course matched my brother ruffles.
We bought shoes that could be dyed to match our dresses.
In New Jersey you did one of two things after a prom. Most people went down the shore for the night or weekend. I usually chose to go into the city (New York).
One of my dates and I went down the shore as he had a house there. Although we were supposed to be friends, I peeked inside his travel bag and saw roughly 100 condoms. I was not at that time well versed in sex but I was pretty sure that 100 condoms was excessive. I frantically called a friend to come and retrieve me.
The dress, the hair, the drama, the shoes, the accessories, the after prom events. What I do not actually recall is any of the time spent AT the proms. Not my own senior prom or any other ones.
In tenth grade I took a 25 year old man to the prom. Today he would be arrested. Back then my mother took pictures of us.
My senior prom I also took a 25 year old man who I was not even dating, but he had a rather large crush on me. He went to college in nashville and was a friend of a friend. He made me a painting, and cleaned my room. Both acts although sweet I found invasive.
While girl after girl sits in my chair and stresses over every single piece of hair I am caught up in her infectious attitude toward prom. A few of the girls can be pickier than any bridzilla.
I had one client who I had never met before that was being a particular Diva and I so wanted to lean over and whisper in her ear, "Look, none of this really matters, in a few hours your dress will be ripped, you will have made out with some pimply faced asshole who isnt even your date and you will be on the floor puking in a toilet."
But why give away the hopes of slow dances and romances she will most likely forget.
I even have a picture of my mother in her prom dress. A strapless chiffon floor length tiered dress that made her look like a princess. Ask my mother about her prom and she will say, "My mother made my dress and I hated it, I wanted a store bought one like everyone else." So much for nostalgia.
I am sure I danced to Freebird, and In the Air Tonight. Possibly even Footloose. I am sure I took my dyed shoes off at some point.
I am sure I had fun. I just do not remember it.
If the girls who grace my chair are going to be like me in anyway, they will not recall much, but they will recall their getting their hair done, and the pre prom pictures, and the dress. So I will ooh and ahh over every sparkly detail of their dress as they pull up photos on their smart phones.
I can't help but catch their prom fever.
I have no idea who my eldest daughter went to her senior prom with but I can tell you exactly what she looked like, and I took a million photos. My next daughter had to be coaxed into going to her prom which eventually she did with a friend of hers. Again photos were taken,
Next year when my next daughter goes I will fuss with her over dress, shoes, hair, makeup. I have not given a moment thought to who her date may be.
Spring time and proms, both sweet, sappy and have a slight smell of lavender.
I may not remember much about all the actual proms I attended, and it may be because of the alcohol, or pot, or yes once even acid. But I knew enough at the time to take pictures, and keep memorabilia, just in case some day I chose to wake up early with proms on my mind and write about them.
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