Out here in the burbs (and maybe in other areas - urban, rural, etc.), Prom season is a big deal.  For many schools, the day of prom is Friday and the school is either closed or people don't show or it is closed early.  The prom is usually on Friday night, some times Saturday.  Either way, its an occasion that has gone from a fancy dance, where some times (as it was for mine) where the boy friend/date buys the girl dinner, or a sit down dinner looking more like a wedding banquet than a party for 17-18 year olds.  

The big thing is to have a large group of people go to some one's house and pose for a large group picture in that houses' all too perfect back yard, deck, gazebo, etc.  The boys are often in a new suit that costs $100- 200 or more bucks.  Or a tux that cost most of $100 to rent.  The girls have special hair do's and make up, either done with a lot of effort at home or a lot of money at a salon.  They look gorgeous.  Some dresses are scarily revealing and others look more poofy than any of us had in the late 1970's.   But, I figure it is the effort that counts and not the spend.  

Except, the reason I am writing this blog entry is the money.  Lots of it.  And lots of families decide they want their kids/young adults to ride in style and rent some level of monster limousine.  

And then there is the pre-prom snacks, crudite or even something more fancy or expensive.   And then there is the flowers.  A corsage, mostly a wristlet and for the boys, a very nice lapel flower (not a carnation please).

And in our community, as occurs in lots of others is the extravent post prom party at (usually) the high school.  The Prom isn't at the gym at the school, but at a coutnry club or hotel.  Post prom in our community is a wonderful effort by a large number of wonderfully committed adults who would rather invest in an amazing night of fun at the school, then to see their kids out drinking, having unprotected sex, or driving exhausted to the (still cold) Jersey shore.  

So, why write about all this.  I'm not sure I think any of it is bad or good.  I do think that if you are into your kids prom for more than $500 bucks or so, that you are making an investment in one very fleeting moment in their life.  Will they remember it for ever?  I don't know.  The pictures we all take are going to look much the same no matter what is spent.  So, how did this get so big?  I have no idea, but I do think it is something we should take a moment to consider.  

Let's start with figuring out the relationship between what is spent and how much we remember so many years after.  The correlation is probably terrible.  What we remember is who we went with, how nice it was to be with friends or, at least dressed up super nice for a night.  Go stag?  You remember those guys or gals the same.  You were there.  You and the gang versus the world.  

Happy prom all.  Stay safe and staff well. And congrats on your graduation.  Life has taken you here and that is super cool and worth noting big time.  And now - we all need to move forward further into the adventure that is life.