Prom - From A Dad's Perspective

When I glanced at Jake's prom photo from last night I chuckled.

"What?" Kathy asked. "He looks nice."

"He does," I said, "But I thought of my Dad."

Kathy was waiting.

"Dad looked at my prom photo and said, 'You look more nauseous than Bob Koop.'"

At the time, Bob Koop was a newscaster for Channel 4 who was bravely battling cancer.

Kathy didn't remember Bob Koop, but I have never looked at my prom photo and not thought about the poor man.

And my Dad wasn't done there. I recall him telling me:

"I know you're all in a tizzy now, but 30 years from now you will hardly remember the girl and barely remember anything from the night."

I do remember my prom date...but I only have snippets of memories of what happened throughout the evening.

And I suppose that's how it goes.

Yet...

...from a Dad's perspective:

The prom is a lot about worrying.

I didn't see the couples as they left as I was still working my way back from Syracuse but I sent a text to Jake and one of his good buddies (and a kid who's been at my house every single day for a month).

I wrote:

"Have fun tonight and don't be stupid, you morons."

I received an indecipherable gangsta' type response.

Yet.

This blog is late this morning because I woke up at about 2:50 a.m. and listened.

Were they home?

Were they being stupid, you morons?

And more importantly...

...were they in my house frying up my Porterhouses?

The prom was so much fun back then.

I remember really feeling like an adult.

A big shot.

We drank a little.

(Drinking age was 18...supposed I would've had wine even if it were set at 60).

We stayed out way too late.

Woke up tired.

33 years later...

...just snippets.

And worry.

Hope those morons weren't stupid.