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I Was Never This Young…
This week, the Spin Cycle – All About The Prom – coincides with the momentous occasion of my 300th post. Woo. Hoo.
Once upon a time, boys and girls, I was 18 years old. I know, I know – it’s just too hard to believe, but I was. I turned 18 on December 22, 1980 and my mother served pink champagne at my birthday party, because in 1980 1) 18 was the legal drinking age and B) your parents could do stuff like that without worrying they’d be sent to jail. She didn’t give each of us much more than a sip; there was only a single bottle and about 15 people at my party, including the young man who would become my first husband. Yes, we went to school together but we were just friends then – we didn’t become involved until after my graduation. My senior year in high school my boyfriend was Skip, an older man who had graduated from another school the year before.
And it was Skip I attended the prom with. He was a sweet guy, but he wasn’t exactly the sharpest tack in the corkboard. He was cute in a teddy bear sort of way, although he stood better than a foot taller than me and had huge hands and feet (and no, the old adage about large hands and feet was NOT true in this case). I don’t have the picture that was taken of us at the prom; I’ve searched high and low for it but can’t find it. I think Whacky But Lovable sister must have it – she seems to have acquired most of the family photographs since my mother passed away. The picture I’ve posted here is the one my mother took in our living room before he came to pick me up.
Our prom was held in one of the ballrooms at the Fairmont hotel in downtown Dallas, where we had our pictures taken, ate rubber chicken for dinner and danced mostly to slow songs. Our principal was concerned about the fact that while most of the attendees were of legal drinking age, many were not, so he spoke personally to every bartender in the hotel, ordering them NOT to serve any person, 18 or not, in formal dress. Not that it mattered much – my friend Michael W. showed up with a flask of vodka in his jacket pocket and was quite generous with sharing it at the punch bowl.
The prom itself was uneventful and over by 11:30 that night, leaving me and my little gang of friends all dressed up and with no place to go, because we were NOT going home. The powers that be may have ended the shindig at 11:30, assuming (quite incorrectly) that most of us had a midnight curfew, but my friends and I had spent the last 3 or 4 years spending damn near every Friday and Saturday night attending midnight movies (I think there was a 16 month period where we attended The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night without fail) and our parents did not expect us home at a decent hour. Besides, this was Prom Night and since no one had dropped a bucket of pigs blood on anyone, we were ready, willing and able to continue partying until we could party no more.
The fact that we had several people in our group that weren’t 18 yet (in fact, one of them was a freshman) was no problem, because being teenagers, we’d discovered a place that would let us in without carding us at the beginning of the school year – a disco called The Landing. It was a great place – the dance floor was spacious, the patrons who frequented it nice and a lot of fun and I know the bartenders were aware that we were underage and watered down our drinks when we could afford to buy them.
The fact it was a gay bar didn’t bother us a bit. In fact, a lot of times, it made it much more fun – most of the people realized we were just a bunch of kids, and while we got invited to dance a lot, no one really ever hit on us (which is more than I can say for the straight bars I went to once I turned 18) and most of us saw our first drag show there. We had a lot of fun at The Landing and I have some great memories of the place.
And that’s where we went after we left the prom and we had a BLAST. At least, my friends and I did; poor Skip was appalled that I’d dragged him to a gay bar. He refused to dance – not that it mattered, we usually went out on the dance floor as one, big group anyway – and sat in the darkest corner he could find, nursing a beer. Really, though, he was a pretty good sport about it and we stayed until the place closed at 2:00 a.m., although his sigh of relief was quite audible when we left and I said goodbye to my friends in the parking lot.
He must not have been too upset by our little adventure, though, since he immediately suggested we find a nice, dark place to park and enjoy another time-honored Prom Tradition. *wink*
Look at Jan … all decked out in pink! : ) I don’t even do the spin cycle thingy and I have a prom story today too … purely out of coincidence. Either that or the prom thoughts from all you spinners came to me telepathically and affected my writing. Too bad Skip didn’t get hit on by some handsome gay man. I bet he would have had more fun if he just loosened up a little! : )
Twenty Four At Hearts last blog post..Mean Girls
*whistle whistle* You look fab!!! That is one fancy prom gown. How did you manage to go to the prom in the 1980s and not have a gown with a thousand ruffles?
Nothing Fancys last blog post..Our Grocery Shopping Adventure
Love the dress! And those tan gams!
(Why do they call legs “gams”?)
There was a gay bar in Orlando we used to go to during the college years which had dancing and the best drinks and it was the safest place to be! You could dance all night, get “hit on” without the pressure, and go home happy. Good times!
You’re linked!
Sprite’s Keepers last blog post..Moving Target
That’s a great story!! In 1980 I was 22 years old. LOL But sounds like you had a great time. I went to my Jr. Prom but didn’t go to my Senior Prom. I was a geek. I’ve never been in a gay bar before but what a great place for you all to go.
I like your new look, btw.
Midlife Mamas last blog post..Being off work rocks. But moving? Not so much.
I LOVE the photo. You look fabulous and now I want to go to a gar bar and dance the night away.
What a hottie! Good thing I didn’t know you then – I would have NEVER gotten any work done!
You.Look.Fabulous.Darling! How fun! Our prom was tame by comparison. I think we did go home at midnight. Great memories!
Smart Mouth Broads last blog post..To Wii Wii or to Blog?
Look at your sassy self in pink. You are adorable.
There was a gay bar over here we used to go to because they played the best music – Hula’s.
Pseudos last blog post..Spin Cycle: A Tale of Two Proms Part Two (Daughter)
I’ll bet Skip didn’t dance for fear of being showed up!
I didn’t go to my prom…I was a married woman–OK I was a 17 year old married child.
You look purdy. I only have one question…
The guy with the big feet and hands…how do you know the old adage isn’t true? Ummmmm
LOL
Monicas last blog post..Rest In Peace Kayleigh Freeman
Wow! Great story . . . I never went to any of my proms. And I’m distressed about the large hands and feet guy . . . I have always that that was a failsafe indicator!!
Elaine at Lipstickdas last blog post..The Scent of a Man
HEY! There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with us shoe size 9 guys!
What? His hands and feet were large, but nothing else was? That is just sad! But you did look lovely in pink! And oh-so young!
Fragrant Liars last blog post..Queen of the Universe
Love the dress! Tell us more about it. And the shoes? So fab! My high school class of 1975 didn’t have a prom — we voted to give the money we’d raised to orphans of the Vietnam war, instead. But we have partied enough to make up for it every time we’ve gotten together since!
Cathys last blog post..Books
Awh pretty in pink…. I like the fact you’re lifting your skirt and have a coy smile, HA! Must have been a boys dream…
Sadly we don’t do prom where I went to school, but I have fond memories of school discos and drinking vodka out a lucozade bottle, as well as drinking cider, buckfast, 2020 and orange reefs.
SSGs last blog post..As promised…
Look how cute you were! I still have the dress from my senior prom. One day, I might try to wear it again. Didn’t assymetrical dresses come back in style?
I love that you guys went to a gay bar to dance. How fabulous!
Beths last blog post..Sometimes I wonder, sometimes I worry
My birthday is December 21st 1985 =0)
I think it’s cute your hubby and you went to school together. My current BF and I also went to high school together except he had no idea who I was and I used to call him “the hot freshman” (he’s 3 yrs younger, a story for another time) and way after graduation we ended up bumping into each other EVERYWHERE!
GiGi @ Incrementums last blog post..Spin Cycle: Save the last dance for me
Don’t know how I missed this post but it was a lovely description of your prom night and you look so pretty and happy in the photo.
Could never understand why my (and other) parents had us all on a 11:30 or midnight curfew and then allowed us to stay out allnight on graduation night, as if we had suddenly become responsible overnight! And I’m a lot older than you!
Check out my quest for you on my post today, Thursday!
Janes last blog post..Two Truths and a Lie: Confession
But of course you were that young! Still are!
Oh look at you Jan looking so hot in pink…what a fun night at the prom. Since I don’t really have very fond memories of prom I won’t do a spin this week. Oh how I remember when the drinking age was 18 but how many bars served you even if you weren’t 18 yet. Oh how times have changed!
Loris last blog post..On Becoming A Mommy
Look at you, showin’ a little leg! We had ours at the Plaza of the Americas in Downtown Dallas…wow, did I think that was FANCY.
I seriously wonder if you and I ever crossed paths, I used to go to Rocky Horror quite a bit as well!
[...] Jan’s Sushi Bar [...]
Oh, the white shoes. How they sparkle. God, the 80′s were fabulous.
Great prom flashback!
blissfully caffeinats last blog post..OMG! It’s a totally rad prom flashback extravaganza!
Ditto on the white shoes! And what was it w/girls showing leg on prom in the 80s?
jennis last blog post..Gonna Party Like it’s 1994
Hopping over from the Stiletto Mom’s promapalooza to check out your fab dress and great prom story! Is that baby’s breath in your hair?
Love it!
Peggys last blog post..Prom-A-Palooza
I was there, too–legally drinking at 18 and going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the midnight movies.
Great photos!
prefers her fantasys last blog post..Why Pens, Prom Dresses and San Francisco
Wow! You are definitely Pretty In Pink! (sorry couldn’t resist) Pink Champagne on your birthday huh? I only wish I could have had that. My 18th I spent alone in my room. Yeah I know I am such an outgoing person!
Angels last blog post..The News on Prom is:
Look at you showing some leg in your prom picture! I love the pink dress.
Gay bars are the best, we used to hang out in them back in college and I’ve never had more fun in a bar.
Caseys last blog post..Funky Foto Flashback Spin Cycle Prom And Stuff
That is quite a dress! The white pumps are a nice touch – but the sexy leg pose really brings it home.
Kate Coveny Hoods last blog post..Flashback Friday: Kate and Oliver’s Excellent Adventure – Part II
Look at you all decked out in pink! A group of us used to go to the Rocky Horror Picture show a lot, too. But your after Prom party? That would have been a blast!!
Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)´s last undefined ..Response cached until Tue 25 @ 15:19 GMT (Refreshes in 57 Minutes)
Look, I already commented on this post! This may mark my Sushi Bar Comment Anniversary. I can’t believe I didn’t mention the baby’s breath in your hair. Perfection.
Jenni´s last blog ..It’s a Cookie Puss!
Oh, my. You look delightful. Lucky Skip.
Mama Badger´s last blog ..Random Tuesday Thoughts