The pinacle of a year in the life of a high school student.

In many places in the United States, the end of the school year brings the biggest social event of the

year.  An event that turns the high school gym, cafeteria or multipurpose room into dream land, a place where girls and boys  show themselves to be sharp dressers of the movies for the night.

Its almost a rite of spring and of being a teenager since so many youngsters I know, love the prom.

In larger places students might have the prom at a hotel,  or in the mezzanine of the school auditorium or perhaps even at a fancy place in town.  In small places, there are not that many choices.

I had the pleasure of attending the prom at a small school in Alaska this year.   They converted the

cafeteria into a beautiful dream for those who came.  The boys borrowed suits from their dads, uncles, older brothers or cousins and often paired them with their basketball shoes.

  I ended up doing 5 or 6 ties for the young men who had not learned to tie their own ties.  Most people out there never wear ties except to the prom or graduation.

The girls ordered in their gowns from Amazon, E-bay, or had family members from Anchorage send them something.  A few girls borrowed gowns from others.  I grinned a lot watching the girls in their too large high heels, clumping around the room scared to venture out by themselves and yet proud of how they looked.

For a town of about 1000 people, the girls all managed to find someone to do their hair, help them dress and let them live their dreams of being sexy and the boys, some of whom never wear anything other than hoodies and jeans, turned out in their best.

This was the night when the boys looked like they stepped off the cover of GQ, while the girls could have strutted their stuff in Seventeen magazine.  All in all, they lived their dreams this one night of the year and came away with memories to last them a life time.