It's Prom Night

My youngest daughter, who is 16, will be going to her first prom tonight. Based on a number of factors, I am guessing that tonight will turn out to be less than a stellar evening. However, we hope for the best. Here is a cute picture taken in my front yard.

Update: My daughter came home and reported that she had a great time. I was also happy to hear that her date, Theo -- a good friend -- also had a great evening. Sometimes things just work out for the best!

I did not attend my first prom until I was ... 34 years old! My date was my wife, a teacher at the high school sponsoring the prom. She was almost nine months pregnant at the time. Needless to say, wild dancing was at a minimum.

When I was a junior in high school none of my "backwards" friends were prom material. Not many junior guys went to prom anyway unless forced by their girlfriends. My friends and I spent the evening on the roof of my garage, throwing a basketball through the hoop attached to the garage. Frankly, it was an excellent time.

My plan for senior year was to ask the girl of my dreams to prom. She was my first "real" date after I turned 16 and could drive. Unfortunately, four months before prom she started her year as a foreign exchange student in New Zealand. I was crushed. I had little desire to go to prom. I was asked by a girl at my school but declined. I considered asking a few more but decided not to. I was also asked to prom by a girl who lived about 250 miles away. Nah -- just not worth it.

Two of my friends went while I spied all the goings on with a another friend. We ended up having the better time. The two guys who went got blown off by their dates the next day. The term "used" comes to mind.

I was asked one final time -- when I was a 22 year-old college senior. It's a long complicated story, but I was dating a senior at that time ... a high school senior. I asked her what we would do after the prom. She said "Everybody will be going down to the Mississippi River and drinking." Right -- just 22 year-old me and a bunch of underage kids drinking together. Why didn't I just slap the handcuffs on myself? I declined.

Tomorrow the same daughter and I will be going to Anime Central just outside Chicago. I know that she will be have a great time there. Me -- I hope to sneak out to a local casino ...