Remember your high school prom days... shopping for a dress, ordering flowers, decorating the gymnasium, getting your hair done and then walking into the dance on the arm of your favorite beau.
Oh, it seems like only yesterday.
There was a lot of excitement in the days and months leading up to the prom, and that excitement has surfaced again for a group of local ladies planning the first-ever Clinton County Mom Prom.
They've been working for almost a year on the event and the excitement seems to build weekly as details fall in place and the date - April 21 - gets closer.
Not only does the event promise a great time, but it's also benefiting a great cause - the Clinton County Housing Coalition's Life Center. The center at 331 E. Main St., will open soon to serve the local homeless.
It sounds like the Mom Prom will be a great "girls night out" with plenty of entertainment - both music and comedy.
No, there won't be a comedian there, but there's sure to be lots of giggles and laughs as women make their grand entrance into the ballroom at Haywood's On the Green in prom attire.
There will also be appetizers, dancing, karaoke, prizes and a silent auction.
And no guys.
This prom is for women only.
Can't you just see it all now?
Dozens of women will be all dressed up in their high school prom dresses, if they still fit, or in newly acquired ball gowns or party dresses purchased for this special occasion. Some will be short, some will be long. Some will be glitzy, others will be frilly. The colors are bound to be endless.
For those returning to their prom days, I can see hair-dos from the popular flip of the 1960s, the teased big hair of the 70s, long and straight looks of the 90s, and French twists and up-dos of various styles ... maybe even some pony tails.
There's bound to be a variety of shoes worn by these high stepping gals... from stilettos to sandals to platform heels, and the cute little flats with bows and sequins that have made a return recently. Shoe colors will also vary. Remember when shoes were dyed to perfectly match a dress?
It wouldn't be a prom without some pretty flowers. When I was in high school wrist corsages were making their debut. More recently I've seen prom gals carry a small bouquet or even a "purse" of sorts made of flowers hanging from their wrist. All the while the most common corsages .... pinned to the left chest area ... have never gone away. These days, anything goes.
We don't have to talk about the changes in tuxedos over the years... because there won't be any guys at this prom.
But, hey, it's fun to look back.
Remember the colored tuxedos with matching ruffled shirts, cummerbunds and ties in the same color as the girl's dress... like the ones Jeff Daniels and Jim Carey wore in "Dumb and Dumber." What a hoot.
Bow ties, ascots and regular neckties have taken the stage over the years. Vests come and go, but it seems a classic black tuxedo is still the classiest look in formal attire for men.
I'm getting excited myself ... remembering those days gone by and looking forward to a fun time at the Mom Prom.
And by the way... you don't have to be a mom to attend. You just have to be a female age 21 or older.
Only 200 tickets will be sold and they will surely go fast. So don't dally. Invite your mom, your sister or your best friend ... maybe even a school mate who's moved away from this area ... and relive those wonderful memories and make new ones.
Tickets are available by calling Women of Clinton County, chairwoman Lori Gunsallus at 570-932-0877 or Tracie Christensen at 570-447-0467.
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Lana Muthler is managing editor of The Express. She can be reached at lmuthler@lockhaven.com
