For Aron: Why So Formal?
>> Sunday, April 5, 2009
Aron asked: Should I go to the prom?
I’m glad you asked that. Wait a minute, you might ask yourself, how could I possibly know whether or not you should go to the prom (other than my phenominal cosmic psychic power)? Well, I wouldn’t.
But I can help you understand what reasons you might have to go to the prom and decide accordingly.
Three main reasons to go come to my mind.
First reason: you have a special someone to take or potentially to support who very much wants to go to the prom. If you have a girlfriend (or a potential girlfriend) for whom the prom really matters or you have a friend who doesn’t want to miss the prom but doesn’t have a date and wants you to go to support them. If that’s the case, you probably should go to the prom, especially if we’re in the date situation.
The second reason: you really want to go. If this is something you’ve always been curious about or always wanted to do, you might as well go and find out for sure. However, the fact that you asked this question at all makes me wonder if you really want to go.
The third reason (and the most common one out there): it’s a traditional rite of passage. If you’re a traditionalist or a completist, if you don’t go, you’ll always wonder if you missed a pivotal evening in your life. However, if you’re not, ask yourself what about the experience you think you would add to your life. If you are close with classmates, this might be an opportunity to interact with them outside of school. On the other hand, if you’re not fond of dancing, if you don’t have a date or a group to support, if spending the evening in a low-light condition with generally outdated music and overdressed teenagers trying to spike the punch doesn’t sound like fun, you’re probably right. And it’s an expensive deal (though that’s probably more true for girls).
Yes, I went to my junior/senior prom when I lived in Las Vegas (which was held at the Plaza Hotel). No drinking but, in hindsight, it actually wasn’t magical or anythingI couldn’t have gone my whole life without doing. However, it wasn’t anything I was interested in.
And that, of course, is the key. If it’s something you feel makes your high school experience complete, if it’s important to someone who’s important to you, if it’s always been something you speculated about, go. You can’t do it later. But, if the experience holds nothing for you, seriously, I don’t think you’ll miss it.
One Response to “Why So Formal?”
I’m primarily going to support my group of friends. They really wanted me to go and, after some thought, I felt my presence would add to their experience. But, I’m trying to find a reason to be excited for the prom. I took from this post that I have to see supporting my friends as exciting.
My parents feel as if I will miss something, but the prom is right after the AP tests and I’m sure I’ll want to sleep. I hate how it’s so expansive, $80.
Thank you for the post!