Prom 2006

Last night Erin and I decided to make ourselves feel really old by attending prom. We were delighted when a woman on the street in downtown Indianapolis asked us which prom we were attending. Erin nearly kissed the woman and bought her a Slurpee she was so excited. We explained that we were merely going as observers at the prom for the school where Erin teaches. What SHOULD have given away that we weren't regular prom attendees was the fact that Erin's attire for the evening covered more than 60% of her body. We ate dinner outside at Palomino, and as we ate, we watched dozens of prom-goers from various schools wandering around downtown. With us having a child on the way, it was somewhat horrifying to me that the dresses some of the girls were wearing contained the same amount of fabric as that of a tube sock. Additionally, nothing makes me happier inside than seeing a high school guy with a pink tuxedo on, knowing that at some point in his life, he'll have to answer for that to his kids.

Prom was held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, which holds special memories for me as both the site of both of my proms, as well as being a place I sang at frequently as a child. The ballroom looked lovely as usual, and nothing compliments the starry sky and Spanish villa motif of the room like some thundering bass and a refrain of "let's get drunk...get high..." Ah...the "Earth Angel" of the year 2006. As a music lover, I have to admit that it was hard for me to understand how an entire hour of prom could go by without at least one song not designed to blow out the rear windows of your Escalade. But I guess that's what happens as you age...everyone that comes along after you loses all their taste.

All in all it was a fun experience. Erin saw a lot of her favorite students, and we got to bust some of her not-so-favorite students. Nothing warms a teacher's heart like putting the smack down on a student during a night that will provide lifelong memories. It's like signing someone's yearbook with "You're a loser." Heart warming.

Bret