We were hip to be square.

I've been reading some great posts by Linda and Roxanne about the prom. Be sure to read Linda's post for her story about obedience to The Holy Spirit's tug on her pocketbook and a beautiful prom dress fit for a princess. Roxanne's post reminded me of my own prom experience and made me laugh out loud.

I was so excited about going to my junior prom. How many times does a girl get to wear a pageant dress, big hair and rhinestone jewelry out in public?

Mama and I shopped for a dress all over Albany, but the one we finally found was at The Bridal Barn in Moultrie. If memory serves me right, the dress shop was shaped like a barn. But this wasn't just any dress shop. This "barn" was stocked with wedding gowns, mother-of-the-bride dresses, prom and pageant wear, and of course, lots of accessories.

It was like I had died and gone to Southern girl heaven smack dab in the middle of an old cow pasture.

My dress was crimson red with white satin bows on the shoulder, a sweetheart neckline, and a white ruffle inset at the hem. Just darling. And the shoes? Dyed to match. What else?

Class-y!

My prom date, whom I will call Tim, was a really sweet friend and I had planned to ask him to the prom if he had not asked me first. He worked after school at a local video store and saved his money for months to take me to the prom.

His boss offered to let him drive her car so that we could ride in style. I can't remember the make, but it was a big, white sedan with a bench seat in front. Just before the prom, Tim's boss was in a wreck and he was worried that he wouldn't have a car to drive. I'm not sure why he didn't borrow his parents' car, but my guess is that they needed it that evening. His boss assured him that the car would be repaired in time for the prom.

Just before Tim picked me up, my parents took the typical "Pose here in the front yard, honey, you look so grown up in that red dress" pictures. I still have the photos. I had just colored my own hair with Sun In, the at home haircoloring kit which involves the spraying of chemicals from a hairspray bottle and "setting the color" with a blow dryer. What person failed chemistry and invented this product?

I thought I was cute. Oh, yes I did. Red dress and orange hair. AND pearls with rhinestones.

Fancy.

So Tim picked me up and gave me the most beautiful orchid wrist corsage. Mama pinned on his boutonniere, and took more "Awww... don't they look nice?" pictures. We got in the car and to my chagrin, the front seat was covered with a huge bedsheet.

To cover the blood stains from the accident. Tim apologized for the blood stains and promised me that it was OK to sit on the seat. I guess I should be glad I was wearing a red dress. (By the way- His boss? She was perfectly fine.)

We met some friends for dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town (public appearance in formal wear!) and then headed for the dance. The room was all decked out in 80's glitz, with tacky, low budget decorations, a "theme" and really bad punch.

As we slow danced to a 1980's ballad, Tim conjured up all of the courage he had and whispered to me, "You sway like a Georgia Pine."

I think he hoped I would swoon at his romantic line, but instead I just smiled, held in my giggle and kept dancing. It was a sweet moment of teen awkwardness.

After the dance, we went to a local lake that is nestled in a quiet neighborhood. The lake is bordered by quaint park benches, families of geese and migratory ducks. We strolled along the placid waters, looking on as the lake reflected the moon. The humidity hung thick in the night air. It was a quiet, peaceful evening.

Then the geese attacked my dress.

This information is probably documented in a yellowed, dusty National Geographic archive, but I will go ahead and tell y'all this- Geese are highly agitated by the sound of crinolins bustling in the wind.

My only hope was to seek safety on a park bench where I could quiet my crinolins and pray that the geese would just give up. They squawked and pecked at my hem, flapping their goosey feathers. Tim finally shooed them away and they swam off with their precious gosslings.

I was Causing A Commotion as the Lady In Red.

Don't Get Me Wrong. I Had The Time of My Life.

I know. That was Bad.

:>)

No geese were injured in the making of this memory, but my red taffeta dress suffered minor damages.