A Date to Remember

As I entered the mall over spring break for what seemed like an innocent shopping trip, I found myself in the middle of a battlefield. After circling the food court for free samples for the third time, I noticed an unnerving trend. Teenage girls. Everywhere. Bustling from store to store, tensions were high as I watched (from a safe distance) multiple herds of high school girls viciously attempting to satisfy their bloodlust for their one desire: prom dresses.

Perpetuating the stereotype, I, as a boy, had not even thought about what I was going to wear. In fact, I had not even thought about prom at all. This notion concerned me. After all, I had low expectations for prom after last year when my prom date’s appendix exploded the day before. My mind whirled with questions. Who will be my date? Where am I taking pictures? Who will be my date? Where will I eat dinner before? Who will be my date? Aha, I pinpointed the source of my anxiety: the constant pressure to find a date.

All around social media, I cannot help but wince at the cringe-worthy puns strewn upon white poster boards asking their counterparts to prom. While I may cast judgment on these ‘promposals’, I could not help but be jealous. Why has not someone asked me? Will I die alone? The answer, however, is clear. The only reason I have been stressing out about having a date is because everyone else is.

After some deep introspection, I discovered that I was not looking for a date because I want a relationship; it was because I am looking around and seeing peers all around me find dates. Realistically, finding a date will do virtually nothing for me in the long run. While finding a date to prom would be fun for a bit; the intention of prom is not for romance; it is for a fun night with your friends and those you care about.

I discovered that ‘date’ is not necessarily synonymous with ‘a fun time.’ The goal of prom is to have a good time, laugh, and dance like there is no tomorrow. And stressing out about finding a date is just not worth the hassle. Instead, focus on trying to have a night that we can just focus on being teenagers.We are not young and carefree forever; so we should not be so eager to grow up with the pressure of finding that special someone.

So my search for a prom date ended up a success, becauseinstead of finding one person to go with, I found several friends to enjoy the night with. And frankly, I have no idea how we are going to coordinate colors.