My First Dance

 Originally Written Between 2013-2015                                

There is a certain assumption here – and that is that I actually attended a dance.  I’m talking high school – The Prom in particular.  Remember Sadie Hawkins’ dances?  This is where the girl asks the boy to the dance.  I remember going to a phone booth to call Jim D.  Because?  I didn’t want my brother listening in to my conversation.  But, as soon as Jim answered….. I hung up.  I didn’t call back.  Thank goodness this was way before “caller ID” was invented.

As you all know, I spent my teen years at the roller rink and really didn’t have any desire to attend any school activities.  Oh, I’d go to the Homecoming game once a year – Why?  I have no idea.  Anyway, when it was Prom time in the spring of my junior year, I broke up with my boyfriend.  Why?  Because I knew he didn’t know how to dance and I truthfully, would rather be dancing on skates instead of on a gymnasium floor.  Senior Prom was easy.  I wasn’t dating anyone at the time and besides…. No one asked me.

So, since I don’t have a “first dance” story to tell you, I’d like to tell you about my daughter’s first Prom – back in 1992.  Rebecca had been dating Chris for just a month or so when he asked her to the Junior Prom.  Now – it was FINALLY MY turn to get excited about looking for dresses, shoes, getting hair and nail appointments.  

It is now Tuesday – only five days before MY (oops….. sorry) Rebecca’s big day.  I came home from work at 5:30 and Rebecca is in the kitchen crying her eyes out.  She is sobbing so hard that I can hardly understand her.  I ask, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”  She is shaking when she says, “I’m not going to the Prom!”

“Why”, I asked.  Did Chris break up with you?”

“No,” she sobbed.

“Well, then…. what happened?  Why aren’t you going to the Prom?”

“Because Chris is in jail!” 

“What?  Tell me the whole story.”

Well, it turns out that way last June, Chris was caught shoplifting and he was put on probation.  He evidently didn’t report in to his probation officer as scheduled quite a few times and he skipped school a lot and other things that Rebecca didn’t share.  Chris went to his court date this morning and the judge immediately sent him to Lino Lakes Correctional Facility for 30 days.  He was very surprised and told the judge that he was going to the Prom on Saturday and could he please start his sentence on Sunday or Monday?  “Nope,” said the judge, and Chris was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.

The judge didn’t care that Chris’ date (also known as Rebecca) was being punished, also.  We had spent quite a bit on her dress and shoes – not to mention that Rebecca would be the only one to have to face their friends and classmates.  Chris wouldn’t get out of Lino Lakes until after school was out.  Everyone would forget about that whole awful episode when school started in the Fall.  Therefore, Rebecca would have to deal with her friends asking a lot of questions.

Well, no daughter of mine was going to miss her Prom, if I had anything to do about it!  We called my nephew – who just happens to be a year younger than Rebecca, lives in Wisconsin so no one would know he is her cousin and he is very handsome.  But, he was not available and just like a couple of her band friends that she asked, it was too late to rent a tux.  So, no Junior Prom for Rebecca.

The next year, Rebecca made up for her missed Prom.  She was dating a fellow classmate, Eric, and they had a great time.  She also had a good friend from Fridley – Tony (not the Tony that she married)– who invited her to his Prom the following weekend.  We did spring for a new dress.  The other one we bought the year before was certainly jinxed – I think we gave it to the Goodwill.

 This is a true story and happened 21 years ago.  Rebecca attended her 20-year class reunion last week and no, Chris wasn’t there.  He didn’t graduate.