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Blog Entry 4 of 47 What's happening in YOUR neighborhood?

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Show us your grads!

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Contributed by: Becca Whitnall on 5/25/2007

Eventually the talk between my dentist and I gets around to my teeth, but not before she, her assistants and I talk about just about everything else under the sun.

On my visit to Dr. McDowell's office a few weeks ago, the chatter focused around the prom, as one of the assistants was preparing to attend hers the following weekend.

Two things struck me: first, I'd have never have guessed that the assistants were only in high school. Both young ladies seem so mature and confident in their jobs. Second, I suddenly remembered just how important this one night is when you're in high school. Having long since moved on to and from college, a few moves up and down the state and an entire career change, I'd easily forgotten what it was like to be 17, when the only higher priority than boutonnieres and ball gowns were mortar boards and tassles.

Looking at it from my perspective, that of a late-30-something-year old (ie: old, if you ask a high schooler), it seems a bit silly to make a single night so all-important and downright crazy to drop a few hundred dollars on a dress, another fraction thereof on hair and makeup, $60 or so on a manicure/pedicure, money for a tux and boutonniere or coursage, perhaps a limo, a fancy schmancy dinner... You know. You remember.

But from their perspective, it makes some sense. After all, what, up to this point in their lives, has been this important? The end of high school is a real life shake up. Suddenly these people you've grown up with, some who you've gone all the way through since kindergarten with, are separating for good. Some will go right into the work force. Some will get married and start families right away. Some will go away to college. And even though promises are scrawled in year books saying they'll always KIT (keep in touch), the students somehow know that's just not going to happen. And often, they're right. So maybe, after all, it isn't so crazy to want to gather one last time before cramming for finals and dealing with all the graduation stuff just to celebrate being together, being 17 and in high school and, well, just being.

And you know, as out of control as I think the spending might be, I'm glad the tradition of prom, itself, goes on --much as I'm glad younger kids still stomp in puddles and play cowboys and indians on their bikes (they do still do that, right?). I don't know if it's because it helps me to not feel quite so old or just that there's some shared American experience that still exists. Sure, the dresses are a few inches (or perhaps feet) shorter than when I attended prom, we didn't have stores requiring school IDs so they could ensure nobody else at our prom had identical dresses (as one store in Ventura does, I was informed by one of the dental assistants) and the music is different but overall, it's mostly the same. And that's comforting.

In any case, because prom --and certainly graduation-- is important to high schoolers and their friends and families, it's important to YourHub.com.
We'd like to hear fun and funny prom stories and photos and we invite you to post congratulations to your favorite grads. Post a photo and let us know all about their accomplishments and plans!

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