Friday, June 20, 2014

Innocent Fun, or Foul Play?

Thought for the day:  The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity. [Lewis Grizzard]

[morguefile]
Lewis Grizzard scored some good points of his own with that witty quote. There's a lot of truth in it, but I think the analogy can only be taken so far. When people try to force the whole life is like a football game comparison beyond a certain point, someone may have to step forward, blow the whistle, and call a penalty on the play.

I'll tell you all about it in a minute, and let you be the judge, but first? A step back onto Memory Lane, if you will... to the days when we were all (gasp!) teenagers.

[morguefile]

Recognize this stuff? Anybody else remember hanging rolls of crepe paper across the ceiling of a knotty pine-paneled basement with your friends the day before a party? Our favorite trick was to twist two different colors together for an extra special touch of sophistication. (That's what we thought at the time, anyway.) As the evening wore on, the streamers would inevitably stretch and sag, until they literally brushed the tops of our heads while we danced. That didn't stop us from stringing them up for the next party, though. It was part of our thing. 


[morguefile]
Matter of fact, it was so much a part of our thing, we even used them to decorate the school gym for our junior and senior proms.

You know what? As all-important as they seemed at the time, I honestly don't remember much about our proms. (And NO, the fruit punch wasn't laced!) Do you? One thing I do remember is how stressed a lot of the girls got ahead of time, because they were worried sick that no one would invite them. I dunno. Maybe the guys were stressed too, and worried about being rejected?

[morguefile]
But let's face it, it's traditionally been females who place so much importance on events like proms. It's their time to shine. To feel as pretty as a princess. To feel special. As much as proms have mutated from the days when my friends and I danced under crepe paper streamers to records played in the high school gym, I think today's girls dream just as wistfully about their proms. They still want to shine, to feel as pretty as a princess, and to feel special.


[morguefile]







So what happens when teenage boys treat a prom like it's another extension of football? What if they rent a fancy venue, huddle there in their suits and ties...



[wikimedia commons]




and go through an NFL-like draft pick process to decide who to invite to the prom? I introduce you to... the prom draft.

I kid you not.

For an undetermined number of years, that's exactly how some... but not all... boys at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California have been selecting their prom dates. Based on draft pick number, which is determined by drawing either a lottery-like ball or numbered slip of paper, the boys take turns selecting their dates from the previously-ranked favored pool of girls.  In keeping with NFL draft rules, boys also have the option of  forking over money in exchange for a more favorable draft pick. This year, one boy allegedly paid one hundred and forty bucks for the privilege of picking the higher-ranked gal of his dreams. (They'd never even spoken to each other before! Do you think she accepted...?) The whole procedure is done with much hoopla and fanfare, and they even go so far as to report draft pick results via Twitter. Nothing more humiliating than being selected last... unless it's having that information disseminated to all your twitter-pated friends, eh?

When I read about this in the newspaper, I got to wondering. What criteria do you think the boys use in  those girl-ranking sessions of theirs?

[seniorark]
Intelligence, kindness, and a good sense of humor, maybe?

Maybe...

On the other hand, the ranking might have gone something like this:

"When Mary Lou walks, she has a mighty fine backfield in motion. I think that merits a decent number, don't you?"

"Nah, she follows a strict blocking below the waist policy. Nothing happening above the waist, eitherShe's good to look at, but doesn't go in for any holding at all."

"I agree," another stud muffin added. "She's a stickler for pass interference. She's been known to rough the passer upon occasion, and gave one guy a shiner for a little innocent illegal use of hands."

"Oh, man, I had no idea. That makes her a strike out, as far as I'm concerned."

"Dude! Wrong sport! Get with the program."

"Oh, right, sorry. My bad. Okay, a low number it is. Besides, I heard she's never on time. Nothing I hate worse than having to put up with a delay of game..."
*****

Okay, so I have no idea how those sessions really went. But word has it, there may not be any more prom drafts in future years. The school's principal... a woman... found out about this year's draft, and wasn't any too happy about it. You could say she stepped in, blew the whistle, and called a penalty on the practice. Even threatened to cancel this year's prom. Whether she did or not, I don't know, but now some school board members are talking about instituting mandatory ethics classes to teach students what was wrong with this whole draft scenario in the first place.

What do you think about those prom drafts? Innocent fun... or insensitive, and highly insulting to females?  Did you go to your prom? Remember much about it? I remember I had a lot of good clean fun, and maybe that's enough. I don't think I would've appreciated being entered in some juvenile draft for the entertainment of the boys in our class, though. (Unless, of course, I was ranked number one... HA!)

                                    Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.


On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined; no sleep until morn, when youth and pleasure meet to chase the glowing hours with flying feet.  [Lord Byron]

It wasn't that no one asked me to the prom, it was that no one would tell me where it was. [Rita Rudner]

96 comments:

  1. I suppose our 'formals' were like your proms. A bit. A few people went as couples, but mostly we went as singletons. Danced when we could - with each other if necessary and had (I think) a good time.
    And no, the prom draft doesn't fall under my category of innocent fun. At all.

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    1. Yes, it sound like your formals and our proms were pretty much the same thing. Some boys came to our proms without dates, but I can't remember if any girls did. It would have taken more courage than I had at the time to show up without a date.

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  2. Proms are just beginning to become a 'big thing' over here in the UK.

    What worries me is the cost - so many families struggle to keep the show on the road, working, paying bills - and then there's a prom. Outfits to hire, transport to hire - I've known a mum go without a midday meal for weeks to help pay for a prom. That's too high a price to pay.

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    1. Proms were a big thing when I was young, but compared to how big they've become, they were NOTHING back then. We didn't rent limos or go to fancy ballrooms, and all that stuff. One of our sons wore long tails to his... rented a fancy limo... and his date was decked out in sequins and furs. Ridiculous! Our other son decided he didn't like any girl enough to waste all that money. HA!

      I agree, the cost has gotten out of hand, and it's much too high a price to pay, especially when the kids probably won't remember much about it fifty years from now.

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  3. Ironically, I had a few friends who went to Corona del Mar H.S. in Newport Beach - - but that was way before prom drafts were ever in existence. Call me old fashioned (just don't call me old) - - but I think prom drafts are definitely insulting and insensitive to women.

    As for proms - I've never been to one. When I was in high school I was over two years younger than my classmates and a real nerd. I never dated in high school.
    But I sure as hell made up for lost time afterwards.......

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    1. Interesting! And no, I won't call you old. Ever. No one who's younger than I am will EVER be classified as old. Got it?

      Old-fashioned is nice, though. And I'm not surprised you view the prom draft as insulting and insensitive.

      HA! That you did...

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  4. I really learnt something new today through your post Susan! I never heard of "Proms" before. I guess that's the beauty of blogging...getting to know various cultures. In India, when one completes school and high school, a farewell party is thrown generally from the school.

    As per whether it is an innocent fun- well, after reading about it, I don't feel so.

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    1. A farewell party sounds more sensible. We had something like that in elementary school, but in middle school and high school, it was a dress-up dance. In my day, they were held at the school, and not overly formal or expensive, but now, things have really gotten to be extreme and much too expensive.

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  5. Proms...just another excuse to alienate those who are not 'pretty' or 'popular'.

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    1. I never thought of it that way before, but you're right. And the more hoopla involved, the greater the feeling of alienation. Sad.

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  6. So, I take the prom draft was known to all the students but the faculty was completely clueless until now? Or the male administrators turned a blind eye and it took a woman principle to blow the whistle?

    This is in no way "innocent fun." Imagine something like this happening in a work environment. That's sexual harassment.

    I hope the school board does institute mandatory ethics classes. I think every high school should have them.

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    1. You're asking some of the same questions I asked... but the articles didn't answer. Seems to me the fact that a female principal is the first who expressed disgust at the practice does seem pertinent, though.

      I agree. Not innocent at all. I'm glad the new principal is putting an end to it.

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  7. I never really liked the concept of proms because they further separated the "cool kids" and the "not cool kids". Plus I felt there was just too much hoopla surrounding them. But that's just me, as I tend to be a low-key person in general. Happy Friday!!

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    1. Good point. One of our sons felt the same. Bottom line, though, he couldn't see the point in spending that much money on one date. (He's a financial adviser now...)

      Happy Friday to you, too

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  8. That is despicable, and I am glad they got caught. I am sure it was not all the boys, but rather a small group of immature, insensitive males.

    Today, in most schools, it is not necessary to have a date, and many go in groups. That is so much better and their is no need to sit around waiting for that shy guy to ask you. My granddaughter just went to her first prom, she went with 14 other kids and some had dates and some didn't. Funny thing is it was not the girls without dates, but the boys. She said they all had a great time.

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    1. I'm glad they got caught, too.

      "Waiting for that shy guy to ask you"... One of the most freeing experiences I had was at a teen center dance, when I decided if I wanted to dance, I was gonna have to ask the guys. They were delighted! Once the ice was broken, plenty of boys asked me, but most of them initially hung back because they were afraid of being turned down. 'Course, I didn't target the jocks and popular guys... just regular semi-nerdy kids, like me. (I knew my "place" HA!)

      My granddaughter went to her first prom last year, too, and they also went in a large group. And even in "my day", it was generally boys who showed up at proms without dates. We girls were too self-conscious, I suppose.

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  9. I've seen students go crazy before prom, getting ready. It's a fun night to them, but awfully expensive and not memorable for all of them. I think the prom draft is insensitive.

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    1. Too many students (and worse, their parents) think a prom is the "most important night of their lives." That's an awful lot of misplaced pressure to put onto a single event... not to mention on themselves.

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  10. Before I met Lady Magnon, she shared a flat with a girl who would ALWAYS be physically SICK before going out with a boy. I think if any of the boys had known about this, they would have run a mile.

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    1. Oh, bless her heart. With that kind of physical reaction, it took a lot of guts for her to push past it and date anyway. On the plus side, at least she didn't get sick on the boys.

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  11. Never went to promo so I have no clue about how it feels but I think the prom draft is sort of like when we used to choose who would be on our team - great for those who get picked first but not so great for those picked last (like me). Why would you make an effort for a team who didn't really want you to begin with? Likewise, if you were the last pick in the prom draft, how much of a good time would it actually be? Plus, do the girls get to say no? Say you're a top pick and the boy you've hated since 2nd grade (the one who steps on spiders and ants for no reason) manages to draw your name? Would you have to go with him? Overall, I'd say this is not what I would call a good time, just another way high school makes some kids feel like losers. I'm glad the new principal planned to cancel the prom draft.

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    1. You're right; the prom draft does feel a lot like those days of team captains taking turns choosing their teams. (I hope they don't still do that in schools.)

      I don't know if the girls have the option of refusal or not. I sure hope so. Then again, there was that other story in the paper last month, where the boy stabbed a girl for turning down his invitation to the prom, and there was no money on the line... just pride. So how's a boy gonna react if he's spent $140 for the "right" to ask a girl... who then refuses? I dunno. It's nuts. I'm glad that principal stepped in, too.

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  12. Uh... The Prom Draft... I thought it was kinda clever.

    I guess I'm just an insensitive lout.

    (That's probably the first time I've written the word lout in a decade. What were the odds I'd be using it to describe myself? ...Actually, probably pretty good odds.)

    "I'll give you ten to one odds Linda gets selected in the first round."
    "OK, I'll take that bet."

    I wonder if the Prom Draft got sophisticated enough that side wagers were made.

    ~ D-FensLout
    'Loyal American Underdog'

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    1. Okay, insensitive lout. (Hey! I'm just echoing what you said!) Let me guess: were you a team-picking captain back in gym class? That would explain a lot... HA!

      Well, since those boys had enough money for one of them to pay more than a hundred bucks to get a higher draft pick, I wouldn't be surprised if there were plenty of side wagers going on, too. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the fathers got in on the action. (Of the betting, of course...)

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  13. I don't think many women have any idea about what ass-holes teenage boys are. Oh we mature and are still AH's but nothing near the degree as teenage boys. The Prom Draft is what happens when those AH's are allowed to run wild.

    I invited my prom date in December. By January we had broken up with great prejudice. I assumed I was not going in May when she called me up to confirm details one week before the day. "But you hate me!" "Nevertheless, you are taking me to the prom." A good time was not had by all.

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    1. You're probably right. My husband tells me the same thing. I used to have a lot of male friends... still do... and I always thought of us as good buddies. My hubby says the boys had "different" ideas in mind. (The horny cads!)

      You poor thing. That's what happens when you try to do the right thing by issuing an invitation early. Most boys weren't that considerate.

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  14. Proms seem like another way for one to pretend they are so great
    When really after high school they end up in a sad fate
    Plus they cost lots of dough
    And life like football? I don't know
    A lot of arse tapping and commercial breaks
    Plus all that penetration may make on do double takes lol

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    1. Teens use proms to put on the dog,
      And for some, it's as easy as rolling off a log.
      For others, it's a time of stress and great pain,
      With too much to lose, and nothing to gain.

      (HA! Penetration... I didn't think to use that word...)

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  15. Well, I knew that I hated the idea because my stomach clenched tighter and tighter as I read this story. The prom draft is the equivalent of gym class when the teacher picks the two most athletic people in class to pick teams. And the picking goes down the same way every single time. The longer you stand there waiting to be picked, the more you feel like a loser. I always thought it was a crappy way to run a class and this prom draft is just another version of the same. Kids don't need you to TELL them who is popular and who is NOT. They don't need their lack of popular appeal advertised by a prom draft. They definitely don't need those results posted on social media. Every single one of those boys (and the girls who thought it was a brilliant idea) needs at least one year of Ethics class (and the gym teacher should be required to attend as well).

    I am so glad that there was no social media while I was in school. It was hard enough without it.

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    1. Sorry to tie your tummy up in knots. You're absolutely right about this prom draft being like those awful "picks" in gym class. How could those teachers have been so clueless about how hurtful that method was? Beats me.

      Ooh boy, I'm glad social media wasn't around when I was in school, too. Bad enough to do something stupid without having it recorded for perpetuity.

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  16. Happy to hear the new principal put a stop to that craziness. Proms are bad enough without a date draft.

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    1. Yeah, I'm glad she called a halt to it, too. But I don't think our proms were "bad"... just forgettable. HA!

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  17. I really had never heard of a prom draft before reading your post, Susan! Not sure the practice existed when I was in high school. However, At that time I remember disapproving of any group endeavor that used the word "draft".

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    1. I never heard of a prom draft, either, until I read about it in the newspaper. From what I understand, it's a fairly recent phenomenon, so it wasn't going on when we were in school. And yes, boys had a much more serious "draft" on their minds back then.

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  18. I got angrier and angrier reading about the prom draft. Glad the principal stopped it, but it's nauseating that it happened at all. I don't have kids but if I did and my son was involved in something like that I'd be furious. I hope some of the girls "fortunate' enough to be chosen had the strength to tell these brats to go to hell.

    On a brighter note, I do remember the crepe paper! What could be more elegant? :D

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    1. I hope some of "selected" girls shot those boys down, too, but I have a sad feeling that most of the girls went along with it.

      What's more elegant than crepe paper streamers? How about the color-coordinated balloons we blew up and rubbed so they'd cling to the walls? For a while, anyway.

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  19. I lived in Laguna Beach one city down from Newport Beach and I can believe anything of Corona Del Mar.... and the Newport crowd.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Oh dear. It doesn't sound like they made a very good impression on you.

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  20. I truly wanted to go to the prom. Sadly, I was such a nerd girl with big ugly glasses and a mother who said, 'Someday someone will love you for your personality..." Sigh. Well, that part did come true (thanks Ray)
    I would not have qualified for the prom draft and I find that sad.
    Amongst some younger folks I know today - i.e. nieces and nephews - girls are more likely to go as a group with other girls and they have a super time. No worries about date pressure, etc. That seems the way to do it. But no prom memories here - just sitting home with mom and dad.

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    1. I don't even know how to respond to that. Bummer. Kids can be so darned mean to each other, can't they? Well, I'm glad Ray recognized class and quality when he saw it.

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  21. The draft seems cruel to me. I never went to the prom. X asked me our senior year, but I said no. I couldn't stand him. I should have remembered that later when he suddenly seemed a good catch.

    Love,
    Janie

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  22. The draft seems cruel to me, too, and it's hard to believe those boys didn't realize it.

    Bummer that you didn't go to your prom, but it sounds like you made a smart decision.

    Happy weekend!

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  23. I've never heard of this draft idea. Seems like a bad idea all around to me.

    I remember the crepe paper rolls. Crepe paper rolls meant "fancy" when I was young. Hahaha! :-)

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    1. So far, I think most of us think this is a less than stellar idea.

      HA! Glad I'm not the only one who remembers those "fancy" rolls of crepe paper.

      Delete
  24. I don't like the draft pick idea... I had not even heard of it but wow. It is sad how low people act and on Twitter, so very public.

    I don't know what people are thinking, I can tell you I wouldn't like it now and even though I had little self esteem as a teenager, I would have thought it was awful then too...

    Enlightening post Susan :)

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    1. No, I don't like it, either, and publicizing the results makes it even worse.

      Thanks. Happy weekend, kiddo.

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  25. Though the whole prom draft thing is pretty awful, I loved your clever take on what goes on behind the scenes. It was great that the principal stepped in, but events like this will still continue to take place on smaller playing fields.

    Susan, Did you pose for the new header sculpture? If so, I'm glad that you remembered to put your shoes on!

    Julie

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    1. Thanks. I amused myself with writing that silly little part, too. (That's why we get along so well!)

      HA! Oh yeah, that's exactly what I look like... on the inside.

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  26. When my wife and I were dating and we got around to discussing our prom histories I told her I skipped both the junior and senior. She of course, being from a upward middle class Richmond, Virginia family not only went all out on her proms but her mother lead the "Prom Committee" that organized everything. So both my wife and mom-in-law feel I was greatly shortsighted or to shy to attend.

    Long story short, as our son approached the time for his proms he blithely skipped his as well and took his girlfriend out to dinner and a movie, which sent my wife and mom-in-law into a frustrated orbit.

    He feels, like I did, they are overly organized, conformist and stifling.

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    1. I dunno. Sounds to me like you and your son are both sensible dudes. Looking at the big picture, proms simply aren't all that important. Heck, even looking at the SMALL picture, they aren't all that important. Much more bang for your buck going to dinner and a movie.

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  27. The draft idea seems very insensitive to me. What happened to asking the girl you like? The one you can talk to as well as dance and drink punch with? a friend?

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    1. Yeah, you're right. It is insensitive... a truly daft draft. Thankfully, only a very small percentage of boys used this method, so I guess the majority still got their dates the old-fashioned way.

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  28. So much wisdom in this post. Those boys doing the prom draft are the same future CEOs and bank managers who will go to judge their female colleagues and prospective job candidates by their looks. And the cycle will continue. I loved the bit of humour in the middle, but let us not detract from the core of your article: the world is still staunchingly and sadly male. Sorry, that's all I can say, on behalf of my gender. :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. Now there's a sobering thought. It's horrifying to think those boys might carry their current mindset into the business world. You're right; for the most part, males still have the upper hand... but things are slowly changing.

      Greetings from Georgia.

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  29. Appalling. That's what it is. Period, full-stop. End of the line. I hope they institute those ethics classes as fast as they can.

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  30. Wow! Where were the parents? Did they not know what was going on? An ethics class is fine, but how helpful can it be if these kids are being raised to think this is okay?

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    1. Good question. Makes me wonder if the parents knew about it, or even worse, if they condoned it.

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  31. I didn't go to my prom. I was invited by two (very nice) male friends and I turned both of them down. 22 years later I feel good about my decision. Especially since I haven't given it a second thought since then until just now.

    This draft thing seems too much of a minefield for me to compose a response to so I's best just shush.

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    1. Good for you. You know your mind now, and obviously, you knew your mind then.

      Delete
  32. Thumbs down on that prom draft!

    We had a sorta semi-formal "graduation dance" in Germany. Like you, I don't remember much about it, but I took my ex-husband and I remember my dress was long, colorful, and very 70's-psychedelic looking. Ha!

    My youngest son ignored the prom. He's not much into organized social activities that involve dancing and cost money.

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    1. Psychedelic-looking, huh? Interesting. I wonder if you still have any pictures of you wearing it... I don't have a single picture from any of my dances, and I can barely even remember what I wore.

      One of our sons ignored the prom; his older brother did it up in extravagant style. His money; his choice.

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  33. This was hilarious and so well written in that "Why have I never heard of you before?" type of way. I'm just glad you found us through Stephen, and now we've found you. Great blog, and great take on the "prom draft."

    We didn't have anything nearly that intricate when we were teenagers. Also, our high school was in a small cow town, so the football players were all smaller than we were (they didn't win a lot of games). I don't think they could have gotten away with a draft. Not that they would have wanted one, either. Fun fact: the captain of the cheerleaders was 250 lbs. Yeah. We didn't date a lot in high school.

    Our prom experience? Miserable. We posted about it recently, and I guess looking back it made for a fun story.

    Faded Glory: Prom Night

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    1. I just read your posts, part one AND two, about your prom. Absolutely hilarious!

      Um, I take it your cheerleaders didn't do much pyramid-building or throwing their captain into the air, eh?

      Delete
  34. Olá amiga,vim retribuir sua carinhosa visita ao meu cantinho.
    Fiquei feliz por seguir-me!!!
    Obrigada,volte sempre e pegue o meu selinho de agradecimento!

    Beijos Marie.

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    1. Ola, Marie. It's good to hear from you again, and it was my pleasure to visit your blog and sign on as a follower. Now, I'm gonna come visit you again!

      Delete
  35. Prom draft - that's sad on so many levels.

    Oh, I remember prom. Date made her own dress with her mom - absolute knock out. We're still friends, too, 20+ years later.

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    1. Yeah, it is.

      I'm glad you still have good memories from your prom, and better yet, that you and your date are still friends. Now, come back in another thirty years, and tell me how much of the details you remember... HA!

      Delete
    2. If my parents are anything to go on, I'll remember prom... but maybe not what you told me an hour ago...

      Delete
    3. That's good. Actually, I remember SOME stuff, like who my date was, and one of the other couples we went with. (I think there were four couples...) I can even remember where we ate dinner and the theme of our senior prom... "One Brief Shining Moment"... but for the life of me, I can't remember who drove that night, or if we were all jammed into one car, or even what my dressed looked like. And since I don't have a single picture... oh well. I DO remember we had fun.

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  36. I don't think our prom had crepe paper. It was held in what was called the Gaslight Theater at Opryland Theme Park. The Gaslight Theater was used to tape TV shows during those days, but it was HUGE. When I see crepe paper I always think of that line from Grease, "Let's hear it for the toilet paper!"

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    1. At least crepe paper is a step above toilet paper. (But not nearly as soft and absorbant... HA!)

      Delete
  37. Oh wow, prom drafts... I'm so glad that didn't happen when I was in high school. Prom was enough of a popularity contest.

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    1. Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm glad it didn't happen when I was in high school, too.

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  38. Things have a tendency to really sting and bite at that age, and being at the bottom of such a draft could really be an aching for a girl no one wanted to draft.

    Still shaking my head that they sometimes exchanged $ for a better draft pick.

    Good for that principal for stepping in and putting an end to it.

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    1. You're right. Those are the "drama years" when every imagined slight gets amplified out of proportion, but with the draft, the slight is not only real... it's publicized.

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  39. I remember all those things. Of one thing I am very proud. I got invited to several proms because I was a gentleman. Need I say more? I also have three daughters. I'd hate to admit what I told the boys who invited them.

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    1. Being a gentleman NEVER goes out of style. Good for you. And I'm guessing it's a "good for you" on what you had to say to those young men who invited your daughters, too.

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  40. There is a YA book in that prom debacle! You write it. I'll read it...you've got an excellent start already.

    My son skipped his senior prom. He saw the hoopla as a waste of time, so none of him and his friends went. I am going to venture out on a limb and guess that prom has become so much hassle and expense, it's taking the fun away from it. Maybe the crepe paper days and simpler times were more fun. Or maybe my son is just shy and didn't want to ask a girl to prom. Who knows.

    I wanted to stop by and say thank you so much for the wonderful review on Amazon for Healing Summer. You totally made my day!!! Hugs to you!!!

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    1. Oh, you could be right about this being a choice topic for a YA book. (But how's about if YOU write it and I read it? HA)

      Or maybe your son has a good head on his shoulders. Some people spend more money on a prom than I spent on my wedding. (ahem) Why, yes, I AM quite... thrifty.

      You're very welcome. It was my pleasure.

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  41. Prom draft? With my luck, the girl would've declared herself a free agent.

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    1. No way! As sweet as you are, the girls would have been trying to draft YOU. (But you did make me laugh...)

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  42. Oh my. Yeah, there'd be a couple boys with broken noses if anything like that had been happening at my school. Seriously. =)

    I did go to Prom, three years in a row, but it was a different world back then. A girl could go on a date with a different guy each week and not be called a slut because there wasn't a expectation for her to be putting out. It was more a question of having fun and getting to know the other person. Oh how times have changed.

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    1. Oh, no no no. I can't believe YOU would have whacked a guy in the nose... musta been those OTHER girls you're talking about...

      Yeah, times have definitely changed. In the sixties, it used to rile me that if you went out with the same guy more than twice, word got around that you were "his", and no one else should ask you out. Ridiculous.

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  43. Replies
    1. Somehow, I don't think she's "poor." (But she sure is funny!)

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  44. Oh wow, that's incredibly insane. Who thought of that? And thought it was okay? So strange, and just downright gross really. Not that I have massively fond memories of prom, but at least we didn't have this kind of shenanigans going on!

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    1. Isn't it? I have a feeling it wasn't the girls who came up with the idea, but evidently, some of them must have gone along with it, or the practice would have stopped a long time ago.

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  45. great post. first, i got my GED - the equivalent of a high school diploma, so no prom for me. got kicked out of high school for cutting class one time too many. prom drafts? depends. can be innocent fun, but who knows, people are so sensitive these days. everything little thing needs therapy now. me? i like clean, nasty fun. i guess i am one of those women who feel proud that she is endowed. cheers!!

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    1. Clean nasty fun. Hmmm, sounds a bit like an oxymoron. Yeah, I kinda like being endowed, too, but unfortunately, in order to finally get the goods up top, I also got entirely too much padding around the middle. HA!

      Cheers!

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    2. Whattaya mean "funny"? I'm not kidding...!

      Okay, maybe I am. A little. Cheers!

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  46. That is crazy! There were no such things as prom drafts in my high school days!

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    1. Sure is. No such thing when I was in high school, either. Heck, football hadn't even been invented yet! (Just kidding...)

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  47. That's outrageously horrible...unless I got drafted to date the tight-end receiver.

    Seriously, I didn't go to my prom because the guy I (sort of) asked (sort of) rejected me. Nobody wanted to ask me. I'd hate the whole school publicizing the fact that I wasn't even considered as an option.

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    1. HA! Great minds think alike. It wouldn't be all that outrageously horrible for the world (or at least your classmates) to know you were a "hot" draft pick, but man, high school hierarchies are tough enough without drawing more attention to one's poopy position in the pecking order.

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