Not Just Any Prom

Would it surprise you to read that this prom was the culmination of a three-year plan? That shortly after he attended his first school dance as a freshman, Neil announced that he would go to as many dances as he could so that he could “practice for prom”? Because that’s just what he said, and exactly what he did. Over three years of dances with loud music and seizure-inducing strobe lights (some without lights, fortunately), getting outside of his comfort zone, being social, and asking girls to dance. He had a plan, and he never wavered.

In the months leading up to his senior prom, his dance attendance became more focused, and he would come home letting me know about his prospects – those he intended to ask. My friend’s daughter offered to go with him (thank you, D!), but Neil was determined that he wanted to have the experience of asking someone himself. He practiced with me what he should say, and we went over how to respond to whatever her answer might be.

Neil came home that day and told me that she answered in a way for which we hadn’t prepped – she had to ask her parents since she was a sophomore. On the fly, Neil responded, “Okay, if you could let me know in a few days, that would be great.” On the fly!

And a few days later, he had his Yes! I enjoyed all the excitement of renting his tux (with tails, per his request) and helping him pick out flowers. And, due to the prom’s Moulin Rouge theme, he chose to wear a top hat, gloves, and cane. Neil’s kind of a “go big” guy. One of my favorite moments of this whole process was when we went to pick up the tux and ran into several guys from his school who were picking up theirs. Each time one of them walked in and saw him, they would say, “Yeah! Neil’s going!” and come up to high-five him. These were kids I didn’t even know, and I had to turn and hide my emotional face.

I would have loved to have hired a fancy car, but my 16-year-old small SUV had to do. We picked up his lovely date and took pictures in the front yard, reminding me of a friend’s prom that I attended as a junior. We had Mexican food for dinner, and they sat at their own table while I dined in the cantina. Then I dropped them off at the country club and went to see a local band with my boyfriend. When the clock struck twelve I picked them up and took them to a 24-hour restaurant for dessert. Turned out a few dozen other kids had the same idea, and I loved watching them all parade by my seat at the counter. Later, I could see Neil’s top hat bobbing in the room where the kids were seated, talking and laughing. He was one of them.