High School Prom | What was it like?

Walter, Alex, Matt and I at prom.

     Prom.  The day that every girl has been taught to anticipate since the beginning of their school career.  An occasion that is always accompanied by a crazy story, and portrayed as a fairy tale in every movie.  As a young child with my eyes glued to every Disney Channel Original Movie, I always fantasized about my own prom.  Dancing in the dim colored lighting with your eyes interlocked with your crush that miraculously ended up dancing with you, appealed quite greatly to my young mind.  Though as I grew older and so did the people around me, prom started to hold a different meaning.  It still held the overall goal of having the best date or being the cutest couple, but different and less fiction like scenarios hid within the romantic shell.  Prom eventually became the social status competition, the battle of the cliques, and the warning of inevitable tragedy.  With these two contradicting themes in my head, I wasn't sure what to think when my boyfriend asked me to his senior prom.  I was eager but nervous, but after some thought, I decided we would make this prom our own.  A good time with no strings attached. 

     I actually never thought I would go to prom.  After becoming home schooled in the 8th grade and becoming evermore isolated, I never saw myself being asked to prom.  I spent a lot of time alone, and didn't have a lot of friends.  Things actually stayed that way until recently, which is what led to me having this opportunity.  Very late last year, I began to see my now boyfriend.  He is a senior in high school, and I suppose I never put too much thought into it as I was surprised when he asked me to prom.  I may have been surprised, but I was also prepared.  I actually already had a prom dress, and it had been sitting in my closet for over a year.  Let's rewind to how I came to own this lonely dress.

     In my previous relationship that I spent two years in, he was also a senior in high school.  He asked me to his senior prom, and again, I was nervous but thrilled.  So, I went on a wild goose chase for the perfect dress, as this was going to be my one shot at prom.  The way I hunted for a dress, I could have become an employee for the FBI, or if I'm lucky, Dog the Bounty Hunter.  Finally, after weeks of fruitless hunting, at a place appropriately named "The Prom Store", I found the dress of my dreams.  I've always had a more old fashioned taste in gowns, and this one was a great example of my taste.  No glam, no bling, just class.  I loved it, and still do!  Also lucky for me, it was on sale, and the only one there,  It was like it was made for me.  The dress is a long, elegant, powder blue dream.  I was ecstatic.  Unfortunately, after my purchase, I was informed that home schooled children were not allowed at the prom held by this particular school.  Needless to say, I was devastated.  I had no prom to attend, and I was stuck with this dress that I had no use for.

     Okay, back to present day.  I hadn't looked at the dress in quite some time, but after being asked to this prom, I decided to give it a look.  After knocking the dust off and unzipping the case, I still loved it just the same.  I was so eager to finally get the chance to wear it out.   I tried not to get my hopes up too much, just in case I got some late term bad news like last time.  Though as the prom crept closer and preparations were still being made, I knew it was safe to look forward to the event.  I found my shoes, (flats because I am terribly clumsy) shawl, and hairstyle.  I actually didn't wear jewelry to the prom, as I wanted the dress and myself to be what people noticed, if anything.  I was very happy with this decision,  even though it isn't a common one.  I felt more confident in my natural beauty without all the material enhancements. 

     My boyfriend and I took a handful of trips to St. Louis (the biggest city around) to have a suit made for him.  I send a special thank you to his mother for making that possible.  He gave me almost all creative freedom with the suit, and it actually turned out great.  It was a classy, elegant suit with a powder blue neck tie perfectly matched to my dress.  The outfits looked wonderful together and apart.

     Before I knew it, the day of the prom rolled around.  Regardless of having everything perfectly in check, I still felt rather discombobulated.  I always dreamt of coming down the grand staircase to reveal my look to my date, but it occurred to me that I live in a one-story farm house and someone had to help me tie the dress while my father was away for work.  Nonetheless, when I looked in the mirror, I felt everything I hoped that I would.  With our outfits and smiles on, we were on our way.  We were blessed to have our dear friend Emily take our prom photos, and they came out amazing. (Thank you Emily!) She gave me the option to take the photos wherever I wanted, so we went to my favorite local sites.  I really couldn't be happier with the turnout, she is a wonderful photographer and completely captured my vision for the photos.

     It was raining something terrible upon arriving to the prom, but in the excitement of the dawning evening, it didn't seem to matter.  The venue was lovely, I was so glad to hear the prom was being held there.  Upon entry, the decor of the Roaring 20's theme struck me.  The classic color palette and style instantly put a smile on my old fashioned face.  There were streamers in the entrance, and balloons littering the floor.  There was a buffet of food, that was so fancily crafted I almost couldn't stand to eat it.  It was such a well crafted event that did not disappoint.

    Me being my shy self, I was a bit nervous.  Being a teenage girl at the prom can be strenuous within itself.  This is a time in every woman's life where you become so vulnerable to the social standards of what beauty is "supposed" to be.  (Which is ever changing!)  For a short while, I sat at my table and just observed all the other young women flowing on and off of the dance floor.  I mainly took in the women who had no similarities to myself.  I assessed the different body types, the smaller frames.  I noticed the bigger hair and flashier gowns.  Though it wasn't long before I also began to notice the women with similar body types and features to mine.  I thought to myself how lovely these women looked, and by the same logic, I must look lovely too.  Of course this is easier said than done, but I knew after all the time I spent primping myself, there had to be some truth to it. Therefore, I took the inspiration and shook the insecurity.  

     I have always been shy and skittish.  I have never been outgoing.  I was always afraid to speak up, or sometimes even get up.  Though as time went by and I spent the prior few months with the right crowd of people, I became less cowardly.  Not by much, but enough for me to notice and feel good about.  Somehow, I ended up on the dance floor, singing and dancing the night away.  Maybe not as vibrantly as the others in my group, but off the wall crazy for me.  I don't regret a thing, and spent the night singing and laughing with great people.  I forgot all about social status, cliques, beauty standards, and expectations.  I paid no mind to what prom night was "supposed" to be, and put everything into what it was meant to be.  

     You don't have to treat prom the way others do.  Being the most adored girl in room has nothing to do with a flashy dress, big hair, or artificially tanned skin.  What makes you that girl is what you bring to the table.  Bring your laugh, bring your smile, and bring your spirit.  Prom is a day to treat yourself, not to change yourself.  Forget any negative eyes you feel like you have on you, and let your cares go for the night.  Prom truly can be one of the most magical nights of your life, but not for the reasons we are taught.  Prom isn't about the drinking or the after party.  Prom isn't a beauty pageant, but making yourself feel beautiful.  Prom isn't about having the socially perfect date, but loving who you're with.  Prom isn't about a perfectly executed itinerary, but having fun when you want, how you want.  I wouldn't trade scream singing John Denver for photo booth pictures any day.  I wouldn't trade these people for anyone.  I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.  This was my prom fairy tale, and what I learned from it.  I hope you can take something from this and have found some inspiration for your prom, or even your life!

With love, Jennie 

     

     

My First Post - An Introduction

     Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog!  I am so eager to be making my very first blog post.  I have always loved the art of blogging, and have followed many blogs over the past few years.  To have my own blog is so thrilling, and I cannot wait to live life and interact with my audience.  I'm sure you have looked over my About Me tab on the sidebar, but I thought for my first post, I would tell you all about me so we can get to know one another.  This will be a lengthy post, so fasten your seat belts and grab a snack.  Also, feel free to leave a comment and tell me about you!

     First things first, my name is Jennie.  I am 17 years old and love all kinds of arts, crafts, projects, and hobbies.  I'm from southeast Missouri, the sweet spot where the South and the Ozarks overlap.  I absolutely love it here, and feel so blessed to have been placed in my quaint town of 100 people.  Growing up here, I quickly learned the value of love, support, and community.  Residents here are so quick to lend a helping hand, give their support, and put in the work for a good cause.  Because of this, I have grown to have a passion for people and their stories, regardless of being rather shy.  I have spent a lot of my childhood into my now blooming adulthood working my grandparent's farm, just across the way from my home.  I believe this is what sparked my love for nature and animals at such an early age, a love that I still carry.  I have watched my grandfather, now 84, put all of his energy into working that farm, and that I have taken good note of.  Bit by bit, he has passed on his passion, strength, and knowledge to my father and I, so we too can care for the farm in the way that he does.  Our small town sits in the shadow of a mighty mountain, which can be seen standing nobly over us from the flowing fields of the farm.  Though the mountain is just a mountain, it never seemed like so.  It radiates a guardian, mother like energy, sheltering the valley from any harm.

     My grandparents have actually provided me with many gifts, that I believe has helped shape me into the artistic, passionate, hard headed young woman I am today.  Most of these gifts are not items or objects, but feelings and experiences.  These have turned out to be the best gifts I have ever received.  From an early age, they showed me the magic of love, commitment, hard work, and living life the purest that you can.   My grandparents together built a wonderful life from the ground up, and they have inspired me to do the same.  From them along with my parents, I gained an immense love for music, which only grows with time.  Though the only thing I can play is the radio, music is my key to life.  I have a sound track for everything, a playlist for every mood.  I listen to music every morning when I get ready, to get in the right mindset for the day.  I love all kinds of music, from mid century classics, to early 2000's pop, to indie & folk, to alternative. (and everything in between.)

     Another passion of mine that I also owe to my grandparents (and ties in with my love for music) is travel.  I began travelling at a young age, and though I don't get to go as far as frequently these days, the urge never leaves me.  My grandparents have spent the majority of their lives creating and performing music as The Plummer Family, and in their success, they began to travel.  Even after selling their theater in Branson, Missouri and coming home to our small town in the early 90's, they continued to travel around the country to perform well into my childhood.  My parents and I almost always traveled with them, as we were part of the band. (I was really only included because I was cute, but we don't talk about that.)  Over the years I was so blessed to have been to so many places, and seen so many things.  Before the age of 10, I had walked everywhere from the prairies of Kansas to the snowy hills of Minnesota.  I encountered people from all walks of life, people of every shape, size, and color.  From these experiences, I grew a love for travel, and still adventure as much as I can.  I am so happy to now have this blog to share my future adventures with you, and highlight what I gain from each destination.

     Next, I must express my love for art!  Though I personally really only draw, paint, and take photos, I love to admire all types of art.  I love sculpture, small scale recreations, mosaics, and anything I haven't already mentioned.   I love to admire other's art, and support local/small artists!  The area I live in is filled with art, with murals on every wall and children's art displayed on lamp post flags.  I suppose if I had to pick a favorite art type, it would be old time paintings.  One of my favorite artists would have to be Claude Monet.

     One of my hobbies I'm always active in, is aquatics, and animal keeping.  I absolutely love animals, they have been such a joy and amazingly therapeutic.  The pet that has been with me the longest would be my dog Tippy.  I only had her for a long time, until I took interest in aquatics and fish keeping about a year ago.  Now, I also have 3 parakeets, 2 hermit crabs, and a guinea pig!  If you love animals or aquatics, stay tuned to my blog, as I will be creating many posts through my journey as a pet mom.  I will take you along through maintenance, play time, and new projects!

     I have saved one of my biggest passions for last, and that would be history.  American history in particular, but I love it all.  I enjoy learning and exploring the past, taking along knowledge for my future.  I love to be involved in my local history, and attend every historic event.  I would love to go into the history field as a career.  It would be nearly impossible for me to be unhappy in any position that falls under the study of history.  I specifically have a love for historic preservation, and would love to have a hand in it in the future.  Nothing makes me happier than to see an old building brought back to life, or a new museum to house important artifacts.  A real dream of mine is to be able to contribute to saving and maintaining America's history, and I am thrilled to think I can do a small part by writing about such.

     Lastly, I want to talk a little more personal.  I want to be open and share with you the not so pretty sides of my life, in hopes of showing you how good things can be regardless of what is stacked against you.  I believe that the downsides of my life actually helps fuel my passion and determination.  It has helped shape me into who I am today, and I think God did such for a reason.  I am only 17, 17 and 1/2 to be exact.  This should be my prime, my peak of health, right?  Well that is just not the case for everyone, and that's okay!  When I was three years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes.  Believe it or not, it was much easier to deal with throughout my childhood than one might think.  Until my adolescence, that is.  Going through puberty and your teenage years as a diabetic is another battle within itself, and though everyone's journey is different, most diabetics will agree on this.  Due to the severe decline in my health (which we were to later find out other ailments were involved) I began homeschooling in 8th grade.  Since then, I have been diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Anxiety, Depression, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, among other little things.  I am also currently being tested for another ailment that has caused me to have pain and weakness of the body.  Now I can see where this all seems pretty bad, and I'll admit, it's not easy.  Though it isn't all awful either.  I have found that there is always something that can be learned, or gained.  It is most definitely easier said than done, but I promise, it is worth your time and energy to fight.  Of course I must include that no matter how hard headed I am, I could not have made it through without the love of our God.  I've done so much praying, that he probably has my caller ID.  With a combination of love, (including self love) determination, and faith, you can get through anything.  My goal in life has been to not only get up after I have been knocked down, but to become stronger each time I get up.  I  hope this blog and my tips to you can help you do so as well, because everyone deserves a good life.

Thank you for reading and once again, welcome to my blog.  I'm so glad you're here.
With love, Jennie.