Prom-2 legit

Transferred from myspace. Originally posted May 14, 2007

I imagine that prom season must be the bread and butter of limo companies. All year, it's maybe a wedding or bachelorette party here and there, but come prom seaon: boom! Money, money,money, money! (You're going to be singing that all night, now, aren't you?) They are doing well right now as we seem to be smack in the middle of yet another year of proms. I've seen teenage girls at the nail salons getting their tips and toes done to match their dresses and sheepish looking boys stopping at the tux shop in the mall to pick up whatever is deemed fashionable this year. I've seen them all dressed up pretending to be adult at many restaurants around town and climbing in and out of the afore mentioned limos, trying to look like they know what they're doing. They're all so damn cute. I want to tell them to take lots of pictures and write down as much as they can in their journals or on their blogs, because prom really is an awesome thing.
My own prom (now 16 years ago this month) was held at the Metropolitan Club in the Sears Tower. It was amazing fun. The search for the perfect dress dominated all conversations my friends and I had in the months leading up to prom. Mine was a red strapless number with three tiers of ruffles to the knees (sadly, straight floor length gowns were not at all the thing in 1991). I had dyed to match shoes and handbag, a red and black prom garter with a charm engraved with the date and my and my dates initials, and spent 3 hours getting ready on the day of the big event. My date wore black peg pants (Hammer pants for those of you who remember back that far), a red tie and cummerbund and white tails. He was the epitome of 1991 cool. And I thought the cutest thing I'd ever seen. After a million photos at my house (which I am now grateful for), we drove to my friend's house and took more photos and hopped into a white stretch limo (4 couples total) and headed to downtown Chicago. The theme was Moondance (a song by Van Morrison that the DJ did NOT have). Dinner was served after we'd all had plenty of time to compliment (real or fake) everyone we knew on her dress and date (I went to an all girls school) and then we danced to all the popular songs (and yes,did all the embarassing dances), made out and had what we thought was a very grown up good time. After the prom we took a carriage ride through downtown, made out some more, and then the limo took us all back to my friend's house where we changed clothes, ate pizza and watched movies until dawn (mostly though we made out in seperate corners under blankets). At dawn the Mother's Club set up a sunrise breakfast on the Lake Forest beach and we all headed over for more fun, including romping on the beach, playing at the playground and making out where the chaperones couldn't see us (see a pattern here?). I made it home around noon and collapsed onto my bed fully clothed and slept until 8 or 9 that night when I had to get up and tell my mom everything (except the making out bits, though I'm sure she probably knew). Prom is one of those nights you dont forget. It's the last dance you go to during high school, and a last chance to party with friends you're not likely to see much of after graduation and an important part of American teen culture. Sixteen years after my own prom, I can recall it with vivid clarity, as though it were just yesterday and cherish the memories (big hair, pouffy dress and all). When I see the modern day prom goers I always smile and think back to my own special night and hope they have as much fun as I did.