In Preparation for Prom

THIS IS AN ANALYSIS

I thought it might be funny, so one day I said "Only 32 asking days until prom!" Immediately, at least 3 girls were glaring at me, and one said "Don't you even say that." I apologized profusely, not wanting to be considered a wag. Wow, I did NOT expect to get my head bitten off for a simple comment (especially one meant to be humorous). Why does Prom have such a big impact on people, especially girls?

Prom is fun. Ideally, you get asked by a good friend, or that guy you've had your eye on for a while. Then, you have plenty of time to go shopping around for your dress, shoes, and anything else you stand in need of. The night is beautiful, with dancing, friends, everyone is happy for everyone else despite usual animosity. The boys are gentlemen, all the girls look pretty. And if you put enough into it, you will too. Sometimes it works out better than others, with the time crunch, but either way, you look better than you do at school. Sweet. Why would this have a negative affect?

Obviously, the better the event, the more desire to go! And can a girl go anytime she wants? No! It happens once a year. No! The boys do the asking (unless you're going for the reform). And no one goes stag to Prom. That's just not Kosher. So, anyway, there is a bunch of stress. "Will he ask me?" "Will she say yes?" "WILL ANYONE ASK ME!?" And the closer Prom gets, the less of a chance there is to be asked.

Not only is Prom fun, but it is a way to determine the individual success of a female. Now, it is not recommended to do so, but it happens. "Wow, I didn't get asked. My guy friends must like some other girl more than me. I must not have something the girls that got asked do. What are the possibilities? Too bad I have a major crush on that guy who asked someone else. She must be prettier. Heaven knows she's thinner. She must be smarter, too. She must but more of what people want. I must be someone no one likes quite enough to take to Prom. Wow, I suck." This is not what girls should be thinking, but many of us think this way, and it ruins our self-esteem for a long time. So this is another reason why we simply NEED to be asked!

Now, many girls do not fit this description. Some of these dislike prom for other reasons. Mostly they're just jealous, but some really dislike shopping. Some dislike spending so much time getting ready. Some just hate the stress, and some just hate boys. They dislike the shallow creepiness of girls who say "Guess who asked me?" even though they dislike the boy, and only want to go because it will give them a chance to show off a revealing dress, and themselves being popular.

Do I like Prom? Heck yes! Still, as it approaches, and I still don't have a date...I don't know whether to be excited or to allow my defensive mechanisms to start kicking in...for more info, see the dream above summarized