Prom

As Prom season winds down, I am reminded of so many proms of the past, both mine and those of my children.  The palpable excitement, the shopping for clothes, inviting the date and, on the downside, the expense are all part of Prom.  Prom isn't just one party, anymore.  There is the pre-prom, the Prom and the post-prom parties and then prom Breakfast, not to mention everything else that becomes associated with this special day.   

For the Girls: manicure and pedicure (Mani &Pedi Day), Prom Dress shopping Day(s), Hair Salon Day ( there may be a few of those, depending on outcome), and the all important and highly anticipated Shoe Day.  Plus, all the planning for all those parties and prep for Prom pictures.

And for the boys: Tux rental and a date.  Yes, that's it. No Prom is complete, without Prom emergencies.  For me, I waited until my date was turning onto our driveway, to don my dress.  That's when I noticed the zipper was off the track.  Not good!  My mother was not the sewing/knitting type of mother.  She was the president of a company and it wasn't Singer.  I ran to her with the dress and she said "It's broken".  Clearly, she wasn't going to improve the situation.  Luckily, she did have a full closet of evening wear, but who wants to wear your mom's dress to Prom?  It would have been horrifying, but she had bought one she was going to return. Bonus! A Fact Of Life:  If Mom doesn't like it, Daughter will love it- and visa versa, no matter what "It"' is!

However the most common Prom Emergency is Prom Pimple!  Prom Pimple- the pubescent skin eruption that exemplifies what will follow us our entire life, in times of stress.  I.E: the Wedding wen, best known as the Whitedress Whitehead that, with enough prodding and poking, can grow to the size of your bouquet.  The Interview imperfection, which, after you have "fixed" it, becomes the "How to make an impression with a depression".  The "Going To Dinner With The Boss" Boil or, as its also known,  the "night you never take you hand away from the side of your face".   The 25th anniversary acne,  when your body gets back at you, for French Fries.  And my personal favorite, the Charity Ball Blackhead!  That's the one you are sure you can correct, with just one squeeze.  One turns into seven and suddenly, the room is crowded.   One side of your face bears a striking resemblance to the Hindenburg,  before the explosion.  Prom Pimple takes on a life of its own.  It is impossible to hide and its the ONLY thing you see when you look in the mirror.  You are positive everyone is focused on Prom Pimple, as you walk into Prom.  Of course, every other girl is obsessed on something similar, about themselves.  

We waste so much energy, worrying about what other people are thinking about us.  News Flash: They are thinking about THEMselves, actually.  And the boys, what are they obsessing over?  Usually, what game they are  missing.  If they have pimples, they forgot about them after their eyes left the mirror.   Inviting the date is excruciating for Boys and Girls.  The difference is the girls will ask the guy in December, for the May 15th Prom.  By March, they've broken up with him.  The guys will call the girl 45 minutes before Prom, unless Mom gets into the act.  It's just not a high priority for guys.  It doesn't bounce, or have wheels.  

The food at Prom is notoriously bad and many boys don't like to wear a tux or dance, so were's the good news?   Lastly, there is the expense.  This can be crushing.  For the ladies, the pre-prom maintenance is costly, the clothing is costly, as is the Prom ticket.  That three times "costly", or a bundle. For the boys, it's a rental, flowers for his date and the tickets.  Also three times "costly".

Prom is a night you will remember for life.  For some, a good memory.  For others, not so much.  But a night that will be remembered, at least until the credit card is paid off.