Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Oh, Those High School Dances!


Oh, Those High School Dances! Blog Hop is the brainchild of hosts Kelly and Emily, and looked like too much fun not to join.
Here are the rules for participation:
1. Post pictures of your high school dances. (Make sure you tell us which one is you if they're group pictures.)
2. Share with us your funniest high school dance story.
3. That's it!

There are three categories to win prizes.

The three categories are:
1. Best Dressed
2. Funniest Dance Story
3. Cutest Couple

A little heads up before you dive into the photos here: I had a hate/love relationship with high school. There were moments I hated, and moments I loved. One of the many reasons I homeschool my kids is to protect them from the seriously painfully boring moments of public school, and from the trials of bullying (which I feel is a byproduct of public school's "lord of the flies" social system).

However, I loved school dances. Not because I often had dates. I usually didn't. I went to all the "non-formal" dances with my friends, and even sometimes all by myself - usually I ran into someone I knew who I could hang out with. I just liked to jump up and down to music. Seriously. I was that nerdy kid who stood right next to the speakers, and danced all night long and considered the slow songs to be a perfect opportunity to take a restroom break. When I did want to dance during a slow song, I asked guys to dance with me. Some of them said no. Some said yes. But I didn't wait for them. If I had, I wouldn't have danced. Sorry, for you guys out there, but some of you are too slow, or too picky in your dance partners. 


 A few weeks before my senior year Homecoming, sulking because the first guy I asked said no, I was stopped in the hallway by my friend Gabe, who was determined to break me from my poutiness. She knew that a mutual friend of ours, and a guy that I had always admired but was "just friends" with, had also been rejected by the one he had asked. So, Gabe pulled me along the hallway until we met up with Tor, and said something along the lines of, "Tor, Tyrean has something to ask you about Homecoming." (I did? Oh...) and I can't remember what I actually said, but it was a pretty bad invitation, in the midst of which I realized I was actually nervous and his answer mattered. (Maybe I liked him more than I previously thought?)

His answer, "Yes, but I'm not renting a tux," with a mischevious smile.

(Hmm, what did he mean by that? )

No matter, I was giddily happy, and when the night arrived, I was nervous. Very nervous. I went to pick him up (yes, I did the driving), his dad sat me down on the couch and proceeded to ask me questions. His dad happened to be the assistant football coach at our high school, taught martial arts, and was generally intimidating even on his nicest days. I was terrified. "Oh, yes, I'll have him home by midnight," I promised. Then his mom came in and rescued me with a laugh, and welcoming smile, chiding her husband for bothering me.

Then Tor came into the room, and wow, he looked sharp and handsome!

He didn't rent his tux, he owned one! (passed down to him from his grandfather)


And I'm not going to get into the details of the evening after that, but I will say it was the best date I had in high school. Tor and I didn't become an item, mainly because I was completely clueless, but we did have one wonderful evening. (and it wasn't the best date of my life, just high school - added for the sake of my green hubster)

Plus, we had an awesome group of friends to hang out with for most of the evening. Please note that the two girls in red weren't dating each other, but they had dresses and no dates, so they came along for the fun (the rest of us wouldn't let them stay home that night and feel sad). Oh, and yes, I'm really short, and I generally had tall friends.



So, next up, Senior Prom. Again, I asked someone, and again I was rejected. There were four other guys I almost asked, but didn't . . . including Tor. (long story of somehwat painful cluelessness there) But my friend Gabe, the same who induced me to ask Tor to Homecoming, told me in no uncertain terms that I would be going to our Senior Prom, no matter what. It turned out that our friends, Trina (in the white dress) and Liza (in the black dress that you really can't see here) both had guys stand them up at the last minute. Seriously, guys who said they would go, and then backed out! The nerve!) Anyway, Gabe and her date Greg (who I knew well since he was one of my neighborhood friends), shared their evening with the three dateless amigoes, and for that I will always be very, very thankful. You see, even though I had a rebellious streak, I couldn't see going to the Senior Prom all by myself. I just felt that would be too hard, even if I did already have tickets. (I was determined to go, even if I was scared of going alone.)

Part of my high school counter culture rebellion included wearing my black high tops everywhere, with everything during my senior year. Why? Because I liked them, and no one else did. I know that in the 80's they were featured in magazines, but trust me when I say that at my small town hick high school, girls did not wear high tops with dresses. Well, except for this girl.




Yes, I had a super bad perm, and I look pretty dorky, but I still love this picture. I love my beautiful friends, and my shoes, and the attitude I had that night. I was going to have fun, no matter what. And I did. I had an awesome time. I danced until the dj packed up his gear. Two guys that seemed far out of my league danced with me because they liked my shoes. When a couple of people verbally harassed me (yes, I was insulted and bullied at every high school event) I laughed at them. I couldn't believe they thought they could hurt my joy.

Even on Monday morning, at school, when a girl walked up to me and streamed obscenities at me and then proceeded to tell me that I ruined her senior prom with my shoes, I couldn't help but smile.

For me, going to Senior Prom, in those shoes, with my awesome friends, made me feel like I had conquered all that was bad in high school. I felt invincible.




Day 9 of 100 days of Revision Update
I admit it. I got up late and scoured my house for pictures for this blogest, and I haven't done any revision today. Aaah! However, yesterday I had met my word count revision goal, and I know I can do the same today. It just might not be until tonight when my kids are in dance class. I did do something I hadn't planned though - I changed the first three chapters (again). However, I managed to do it in a way that will coincide with chapter four pretty nicely. From here on out, it's just polish time.

33 comments:

Small Town Shelly Brown said...

You sound invincible to me :) I went stag to a couple of dances myself and asked my share of boys to dance. Honestly life is to short to just wish and pine the time away. Love your Chucks BTW.

Emily R. King said...

You have so many memories! Does rejection and dances go hand and hand or what? And that perm is totally hot. I love that picture too!

Thanks for participating!

Suzi said...

Wow. You ruined that girl's prom because of YOUR shoes? It's amazing how ridiculously selfish and mean some people are.

I asked a guy to senior prom. I wasn't dating anybody and figured I'd better ask if I wanted to go. We didn't date after that, but I'm glad I did it.

Cherie Reich said...

Aww! It sounds like you had a good time, despite some of the harassment.

Good luck with the revisions!

ilima said...

Perms gone wild. Been there, done that. Thanks for sharing these pics.

Angela Cothran said...

Are those tucks I see at the bottom of the blue dress? Classy :) And I LOVE the converse. Smart girl.

Jenny S. Morris said...

I LOVE the high tops. LOVE. Glad you had good friends to hang out with.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Shelly - I agree. Life is too short to pine away over "might have beens". Thanks!

Emily - Thanks! I think dances and rejection go totally together, but I think in the end we come out stronger, more convicted of who we are and who we want to be.

Suzi - Asking someone is far better than waiting to be asked.

Cherie - I did! Thanks!

ilimi - Thank you! Yes, perms gone wild could be the theme of the 80s.

Shiela Calderón Blankemeier said...

I LOVE your shoes!! We were all clueless in high school, but those guys backing out are the worse. You look like you had a great bunch of friends. Nothing is better than that. And bad perms were the order of the day back then :)

Victoria Smith said...

Throwback! Those shoes are stellar hell girls wear shoes like that to prom today. I wore shoes like that to my wedding reception (I got married last year btw :D) and I love how you got drilled by the parents. Cool story!

Cassie Mae said...

I love it! Attitude and all. And I think Tor should be a book boyfriend. He sounds super cute. :)

Jaycee DeLorenzo said...

Glad you had a nice date! I am LOVING all these 80's dresses.

Brinda said...

I am in love with your black high tops w/formal look!!

Suze said...

Tyrean, this was a great post! From the initial intervention of your friend Gabe to the independent black Converse.

Very nicely done.

Hope Roberson said...

The shoes, AWESOME! You can actually dance all night in those! I love that the photographers did group pictures too, they didn't do that at our dances, those pics would have been way better! Glad you rose above all the mean people and had a great time despite them by being yourself, sounds like with a group of great friends too :)

Dani said...

LOVE the shoes! You go girl!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You rebel!
Hey, if a girl asked me to dance, I always said yes! (Even though I'm a crappy dancer.)

Tara Tyler said...

seriously? people yelled at you? jealous!
so cute! thanks for the pics & stories! glad you didnt let them get to you!

Jamie McHenry said...

You go! It's great to hear you had a good time.

Anonymous said...

"Best Date?" ... well I am glad you clarified that "you had in high school" !!! Luv ya Wife :-)

Kelley Lynn said...

Those shoes are awesome!!! I'm glad you stuck to it and didn't bother with what everyone else thought :)

Stacy S. Jensen said...

I love both your stories and pictures.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Angela - Thanks! And yes, those were tucks . . .oh, the 80s.

Jenny - me too!

Shiela - my friends were/are the best!

twentysomething - Glad to hear you wore chucks for your wedding reception - that's cool!

Cassie - he was, and now we are both happily married to other people . . .which is a good thing.

Jaycee - just the one, and yeah, the dresses are so 80s but amazing anyway.

Brinda - Thanks!

Suze - Thank you!

Hope - I'm thankful for the group photos too . . .I'm not sure my friends and I gave the photographer a chance to say no.

Danielle - :-)!

Alex - always knew you were a smart guy. Most of the time, girls just want someone to dance with them - no matter what the guy thinks of his skills.

Tara - Thanks! And I have to say that there were days when I did, but during my senior prom with my awesome friends - no way!

Jamie - Thanks!

Anonymous (aka John aka my hubster) - you know you're the best date of my life, and the best guy I've ever met, so tone down on the green. :-P

Kelley - Thanks!!!

Stacy - thank you.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Love the pics!

Lara Schiffbauer said...

You ruined her prom? That is so stupidly ridiculous! Yay for you, being a rebel!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Elizabeth - Thanks!

Lara - Thank you!

Trisha said...

You would have been so much fun to hang out with at dances! I went to every single dance during high school as a single gal. ;)

Tyrean Martinson said...

Trisha - It would have been great to hang out with you!

Kate Coursey said...

I was always the short one among my friends as well....and what a great story! Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

Omg, I love that you wore your hightops!!!

Carol Riggs said...

LOL--YES! I'm glad you wore comfy shoes. I bet your feet were the only ones that weren't hurting by the end of the night. Enjoyed your pics!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Kate - Thanks for stopping by!

Candylynn :-)

Carol - Thanks!!!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

This is so awesome! You rock! And I am so sorry those people harassed you because of your shoes! How shallow and stupid can you get? You go, girl!