PROMMM!!!! And why I did not go (part I)

    Prom is a big deal in America- for all the starstruck teen-aged girls especially. Exchange students from overseas eagerly look forward to attending an "authentic American prom." Sadly, proms (at least the ones in New Hampshire) fall far short from any sort of decent expectations. Girls really set themselves up for disappointment. They start planning for the big event months ahead of time, way back in January or even earlier. Prom has been the base of countless gossip, from the painstaking selection of THE perfect dress, to the details of hairstyle, makeup, nails, tans, shoes, jewelry, etc. Most girls are aiming to look perfect, be perfect, and enjoy the perfect night. Thus, many hearts are broken each year at prom since such artificial perfection does not exist. Even the ones who do manage to pull off superficial beauty usually don't get what they expect or want.
     I was asked my sophomore year to prom about 5 days before the event. I remember declining with a certain amount of embarrassment and guilt. My junior year, I managed to snag a date from a nearby school and actually went to prom. From what I remember, it was a lot of money, stress and hassle for (in my opinion) measly results. Looking back, I don't even like my dress from that year. At the dance, the music was downright terrible, the food stingy and unappetizing, the decorations gaudy and hazardous (one girl cut her foot on glass and bled all the way to the bathroom), unsanitary (for obvious reasons), and overall not classy or enjoyable. My corsage was awkwardly large so I had to cut most of it away, the bracelet to which it was attached fit poorly and was ugly, AND I lost one of the straps to my new sandals. The tent was closed, suffocatingly hot and humid, and there was an incredible lack of space for dancing. I could think of dozens of free ways to have 100x worth more fun. As I like to say to my friends who ask about that night, "We both had fun. But I didn't have fun."
     As senior year rolled around, prom began to creep into conversations although school had barely settled down in its tracks. Talks of dresses, dates, etc. Same-old same-old. After the new year, I too occasionally began trolling the internet for potential dresses. Designers really know how to make money. There was a massive amount of drama in school everyday as couples began pairing up for prom. Among the guys, there were many headaches as to create a cute and unique way to ask a girl to prom. In response to such dilemmas, I thought, "I don't care how you ask me (as long as it's not over a dumb text), I just want you to be a nice, caring boy who doesn't drool." March, April rolled around (Prom at my school was in early may), and I still had not gotten a date. I was thinking, "Why scramble now? There are still many weeks before prom." As it turns out, the early bird gets the worm. All of my best guy friends had already found dates, and I was left out in the cold. This realization stressed and upset me for a couple of days, but I quickly got over it after remember just how enjoyable the previous prom was. Instead, I bought a versatile dress (which I plan to wear to my senior music recital), and planned a good night out with two of my best friends who also wisely decided to skip out on prom. Why waste $50 on tickets to feel uncomfortable all night long when we know how to have good clean fun around town?

What do you think about prom? Please let me know in the comments below! Hang on for part II in which I tell you just what us anti-prommers did on prom night:).

Cheers!
KC