THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605240055
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TREVOR WRIGHT, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 57 lines
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT for a long time. I had played the event over and over in my mind since I was a freshman. Now it was approaching quickly and I didn't have the time or money to spend on it.
Prom had suddenly arrived.
A few weeks ago, Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach had its annual senior prom - my prom minus me! Was I being fair to myself if I didn't go to my one and only senior prom?
At the time, I didn't think anything about it. I swore up and down to take my girlfriend, Heather, a junior, to her prom next year if I decided not to go to my own. But would it be the same? Who knows? Who cares, I thought. If I didn't go, it wouldn't bother me at all. I didn't need to spend $40 to $70 on a couple of tickets plus the cost of dinner, tuxedo, etc. to spend the evening out, if I could just go out and have fun for less money.
So I made up my mind. There was no way I would be sucked into the ``prom-night-money-crunch.''
I began my ``mission of cheapness'' by apologizing to Heather and assuring her that next year would be different. I would actually save some money so that we could attend her prom. She didn't seem too bothered by my decision, saying that this was my prom and if I didn't want to go then I didn't have to.
So on prom night - we went to the movies!
I soon realized that hoping that the evening would be better than any prom could be was a desperate thought - the movie was terrible, the popcorn dry, the soda too big, and I couldn't stop wondering about what I was missing at the prom. But who cares, I told myself. After all, the prom was about having fun and spending time with a good friend or that special someone; that special someone was sitting right next to me! Why was I complaining?
But portions of our night were spent repeating, ``So what do you want to do now?''
Eventually, the night came to a close and I made my way home, my mind still straying to the prom and on how much fun everyone was probably having. I knew what I had to do. . .
``So the prom wasn't any fun was it?'' I asked every senior I came into contact with the following day. I hoped to get at least a few negative responses.
``It was so much fun!'' I was told constantly. ``The best night of my life!''
My hopes sank.
Looking back, I will always be reminded of that one great mistake: being sucked into the world of a cheapskate.
Would I ever be able to escape?
Perhaps.
The bank teller smiled at me that following Friday afternoon, as I told her to deposit a sum of my check into my savings account.
``Saving for something?'' she asked
``Yeah,'' I smiled. ``Next year, I'm going to the prom.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
Trevor Wright by CNB