Meaningful Night or A Lot of Hype
I’m not the girl who starts talking about prom in February, who stresses about the dress or where dinner will be. That’s just not me.Generally speaking, prom and what it “means” are often blown out of proportion. In every coming-of-age, ‘90s teen flick, the big climax happens at the prom, when everyone suddenly breaks out into coordinated dance routines and it is quiet enough for the main characters to confess their true feelings, deepest desires and final thoughts on high school.
Prom in the real world, though, is a take-your-shoes-off-after-two-songs, uncoordinated, loud, sweaty affair that ultimately is way more fun than any movie could ever make it out to be.
Yes, prom is expensive and flashy, with the party buses and limos, high-end dresses and dinner reservations at chic restaurants, but these things are not set in stone. Plan a home-cooked dinner with a group or skip the trendy dress that will look dated in pictures anyway. The bottom line is, prom should be about fun.
Symbolically, prom is a chance for the senior class to share one last hurrah before graduation and post-education plans take effect. It is about the experience of bonding through dressing up and dancing the night away, the fun and light-hearted stress of working out the pre-prom agenda and the ultimate shock that follows once one realizes that they will soon leave the comforts of high school and will never truly be a kid again.
Perhaps it is the finality of prom that makes putting on a fancy dress and dancing to generic hip-hop fun. The anticipation leading up to the big night is the same in every generation; prom is right of passage that no one should miss.
I don’t look forward to prom so much for the actual event, but because I am ready for what comes after. I am ready to start my future. And at prom I’ll be on my way, and doing it in style.
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