Friday, April 30, 2010

No Date for Prom

For many young people, it feels like the end of the world when prom time comes and they have no date. I am told that no school requires “couples only” can attend the prom. It is your prom if it is your school and many goes without dates or in small groups. I did not attend high school so I have no idea what it would be like to go to a prom. We were very poor and I could not have had a pretty dress. I never learned to dance either.

Some of my clients choose not to attend prom because they do not believe in dancing or cannot afford to go. What do they do instead? Some invite friends to their home and watch movies or have a picnic. Some working students volunteer to take a co-workers shift so he or she can attend. Some students spend the day visiting nursing homes and entertaining the folks their. Yes, and there are those who feel alone and need a friend. Think of creative ways to befriend that person. It will make you both feel better.

One young man told me he could not afford to go to his prom and spent the evening checking out college programs and making plans for his future. He is in his third year of college (at a university he had never heard of) and wants to become a school counselor. He says school, in any grade, should not be as painful as it is. He also said one of his friends was killed on the way home from the prom. Had he gone, he probably would have been in that car.

Don’t drink and drive! Don’t ride with a driver who is drinking! Before the big night make arrangements for a ride home if you feel unsafe. It may be a parent, another adult, or a friend. Be safe and enjoy your prom.

For those graduating, congratulations! Think about continuing school in some form whether it be college or vocational. Have a safe summer.

Until next time,
Alice

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