Poof
I went to my junior prom with the son of my mom’s friend from work.
Now that’s a mouthful and a pretty decent title for a sad, angsty coming of age movie.
But I did go to the prom with, Jon or John, I’m not sure how he spelled it because after spending one incredibly cringe-worthy night together, I never saw him again. Except at company picnics where similar to a one night stand of hot steamy sex, I pretended not to notice him.
Yes, it was like that, but without the steamy sex part and an extra dose of bad-corsages-and-strange-pictures awkward.
I’ve never asked my mom about this particular low point in my life, but I think I might need to find out how exactly this came to be.
Did I ask for someone to send out the distress call or was this some sad prop-up because my loving mother didn’t want me to miss out on the cheap bud vase with the dancing couple etched into the side?
Granted, I wasn’t exactly mainstream in high school, but I don’t remember things being that bad. I was cute, and I had excellent hair. Did no one want to take me to the prom and if that was the case, why didn’t I just rent Pretty in Pink on VHS and make brownies?
Why did I get all dressed up in that peach cloud mess for some guy I barely knew so that he could sit there all night until he decided to air guitar his way through Pour Some Sugar on Me?
I wasn’t even a prom-type girl back then. I listened to The Smiths for crying out loud. I should have been all badass and edgy, “I will not crack under the pressures of society.” Right?
Where the hell was my moxie back when I still thought blue eyeliner was a good idea?
I have a few of these look-backs in my life. Moments where I could have been different, unique, instead of falling victim to what everyone else was doing.
I suppose that’s the rearview being 20/20.
In the event I’m ever awarded a do-over, I might choose my junior prom on principle.
I would go back and remind my sixteen-year-old self that I was smart and funny, and if there wasn’t a gorgeous man-child with over-gelled hair wanting to hit the dancefloor with me, then so be it. I would tell young me with the Aqua Net bangs to revel in her female gumption and spare herself the poofy sleeves.
No girl should ever settle for a Jon/John just to say she went to some stupid dance.
My thoughts from the laundry room. Curfew.
choices courage female learning propaganda school thoughts courage culture humor life prom self expression thoughts
haha this is too relatable. My prom date was a friend of a friend who after arriving there I pretended not to know. He also told me the makeup I had professionally applied looked like clown make up. What a gem eh?
Oh hey now. Hey. There’s nothing wrong with blue eyeliner. Stop it you. Blue eyeliner is always a good idea.
Great post though. I often have moments when I look back and wonder why I didn’t just say what I was thinking, or do what I knew I wanted to. Obviously I have moments where I wish I’d done the opposite, but I always knew who I was, I just didn’t always know that I was allowed to be. Glad I got over that one.
Alys!! So happy to see your face on a comment. I’ve missed you. Of course YOU can pull off blue eyeliner. I doubt there’s much that doesn’t work for you, but for some of us it was train wreck. Thank you for the comment. Hope you are well. 🙂
Bring the blue eyeliner back Tracey!
Nice post, I went to a girls school and never even thought about this! I really enjoy your writing, I have nominated you for a blogger recognition award and included a link to your page as one of my favourite ones https://charoflondon.com/2016/07/07/blogger-recognition-award/
Loved it your post!
Great read! Love your writing style! 🙂
And so true – never settle
I am not sure who the young lady in the Image is’ but is rock n’ that style’ and it awesome’ those jeans are style and the hair the tude’ so cool’ and is everything perfection of that nostalgic era of self expressive fashion. She owns it and she knows it’. With my moving and school transfers and all’ a birthday in May’ as well as raised Latchkey by Parents I deem and deemed ‘the Ghosts’ with a barely leash on me’ although I didn’t consider myself as wild’ more so independent’ when the winter storms came in the Waves were at their best’ so I would load my surfboard into my trunk on my Lancer GT’ as she would almost take all of my Harbor Banana at 5 foot 8 inches’ and off to the beach I drove bypassing my high school’ the next day I would come to class and hand in my own hand signed note:
“The Waves were awesome’ and I am not sorry I missed classes yesterday”
-I worked a full time hard labor hazardous job ever weeknight through my junior and senior year. By Christmas time I had my own apartment I was shacking up with my older girlfriend. And one day had my Wisdoms surgically removes a six how and many shots ordeal’ next day after working all night with a swollen face and throbbing cranium’ as I left work at 8:00 Am and drove to school’ I had two counselors and a teacher approach me on the school lawn when I arrived and tell me “Ops we made a clerical error and you don’t have enough credits to graduate with your class’ So I fingered them and told them I just did. So I didn’t get a Prom or a year book.
-But life was good’ as was the rock’ roll music of that era. Music I liked’ I remember the day I bought the Led Zeppelin ‘Presence’ LP’ my folks were looking for something to incriminate me on’ doing room searches so I retaliated by taking a tour through their draws and closet’ finding a hidden stack of 1950’s Soft core porn Magazines on top of their bed quilt and planting a Pot plant and keeping it in my bedroom window’ then I told them it was me and my friend that took two hits of acid and drank a six pack of beer and stole Dad’s car the next day on that weekend they left me home and they went to Vegas.
-That didn’t stop them however as once when me and my wife stayed at their home for a week’ while out she went through all of our suit cases and when we returned she starts nagging me about all the pills I was taking. I said yah’ but at least I am off the acid. I have never fit the puzzle and I blaze my own trails through life. By the way that Picture of you Rocks’. It a wonder our parents even survive us back in the day’.
Great Post’
I never went to the prom, but both of my sisters did with the same cringe-worthy feelings. Mom was thrilled that her old and younger daughters went; she was probably disappointed that I didn’t, that I missed out, etc. In fact, my first ‘official’ date (a dance, a semi-formal) occurred in my freshman year of college, and I actually wanted to go. Oh well, look how fabulous we turned out, Tracey! ~nan
Great post. It’s got me thinking. I never went to prom, or any dance for that matter. I wish I was brave enough to go-with or without a man-child.