Once upon a time, nearly 30 years ago, I went to the Prom.
Oh, I’d been before. The usual high school events. Awkward dates. Social pressure. Anxiety.
This was different!
My second year seminary classmates and I decided we needed some fun after a pretty intense year filled with, among other things, Hebrew.
We got permission to have a Prom, reserved some rooms, and hired a DJ.
Then we started spreading the word. Lots of people were excited. All of them asked what to wear.
The response: “Dress creatively!”
And, we did.
I wore a royal blue taffeta bridesmaid’s dress I bought at the neighborhood Sears dump store for seven dollars. And a pair of earrings I borrowed from a guy in my class.
Several friends wore mix and match pieces of tuxedos gleaned from the clothes closet at Mission Haven. Kids were welcome, and mini-princesses were the hit of the evening.
We laughed and danced and took turns holding babies so their new parents could dance too.
It was a magical night.
Just recently, I got invited to something quite Prom-like again.
This time, I had no idea what to expect. The whole thing was a bit hush-hush. The host, clearly gifted at creating curiosity.
I also had no idea what to wear.
The answer, however, was familiar: “Dress creatively!”
The Sears dump store being long gone, another plan seemed in order.
This time I was transported in a LYFT chariot to a magical land of art and laughter and friends, familiar and new, the doorway to the Rabbit Hole of the transformation we all came seeking.
Black and white dots for me. A favorite denim jacket. And hot pink shoes. (Considerably more comfortable than the bridesmaid’s dress!)
We danced in colors and words and stories. There was even glitter glue involved!
If you’re curious about what happens next, so am I!
And curiosity is the perfect doorway to learning.
For now, check out more art from Flora Bowley, who painted the piece above, sue