January 21, 2002
DOWN HOME:
One quest for the perfect prom gown
___Do you realize prom season is upon us?
___I didn't, either, until just the other day. But apparently participating in prom season is like trying to hit a major-league fastball: If you hesitate, you're done.
___Actually, prom season hasn't arrived. Not yet. Not exactly.
___You'll know prom season is here when your local florist starts burning the midnight oil, people who lease limousines start smiling again, you can't make an appointment to get your hair managed within 30 days, and people who rent tuxedos go around humming silly old tunes like "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning."
MARV KNOX
Editor
___But now, according to reliable sources, is the season to shop for prom dresses.
___I thought my reliable source was making this up, until a couple of weekends ago. Then I saw for myself.
___Lindsay, our 18-year-old high school senior, sat in the backseat of our car as she, her mother and I drove to dinner on a Friday night. Previously, they had disclosed to me that we would go to one of our area's newest malls after we ate. Joanna had suggested we eat at one of my favorite restaurants, assuring my compliance with the evening's itinerary.
___Only after we were well on our way did the real purpose for the evening surface. It came up quite naturally, as Jo and Lindsay discussed the shops they intended to visit after dinner.
___I became more interested as the list grew longer and the focus narrower.
___"You're shopping for prom dresses?" I inquired. "I thought you already bought a prom dress." It's gorgeous, too. Light copper-colored. Can't imagine a prettier prom dress.
___"Well, I have that dress, and I like it," Lindsay allowed. "But if I'm not going to keep it, I've got to take it back soon. So, the time to look is now."
___"That's right," Jo said. If she were in an old-time revival service, that would have been the equivalent to a hearty "Amen! Preach on!"
___"But after tonight, I'll be able to scratch all the malls off the list," Lindsay continued.
___"Which leaves?" I asked, foolishly.
___"Dress shops." Dress shops all over Dallas.
___Like I said, I thought they were making this up. That changed when we got to the mall. Every prom-dress shop was crawling with girls. They eyeballed dresses. They held them up. They tried them on. A woman at one shop said a sister store down in Dallas had a 30-minute waiting line just to get in a dressing room. I went to look for some T-shirts.
___Lindsay scratched that mall off her list. She still has that pretty dress, and I'm not sure she has the heart to pursue the "perfect" prom dress. But if she does, she will.
___When we all get to glory, I hope St. Peter issues identical robes. One color; one size fits all. That will be heaven to me.
___Malls will be located you-know-where.
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