Home > Snellville.Talk > Archives > 2006 > October > 12 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGet ready! Get set! It’s Homecoming!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This weekend — at least in the Snellville/Grayson area — is Homecoming.
You know what that means.
If you are thinking of dining out Saturday night, think again. If you want to pick up flowers, stand in line. If you want to treat yourself to a manicure, pedicure, eyebrow waxing or new hairstyle, you’ll have company – young company — lots of it.
High school homecomings are BIG here, second only to the prom.
Flower shops clear out their coolers to make room for wrist corsages. Limos, parent drivers and teens with newly washed cars take to the roads. Local parks turn into settings for photo shoots.
I’m not sure how many of the folks going to homecoming have actually “come home” to do so. But it is definitely a highlight of the fall.
This year, I have two sons heading to separate homecoming dances. We’ve gotten the suits, the shirts, the ties. We’ve ordered the wrist corsages – six baby roses with iridescent or silver-trimmed ribbon and keepsake bracelets. Dinner plans are in the works.
We do face a challenge in the car department. Of the four autos in our family, only three are in town (our daughter’s is with her at college). Only one of those three – my eldest son’s — is suitable for a fancy event.
That leaves us one car short.
My ride is a 1992 Ford Explorer that once was quite luxurious but is now pushing 285,000 miles and shows it.
I love my car, and the aged and torn leather upholstery is fine for our dog Willow to prance across from window to window, but it should not contact silky emerald green or midnight blue long dresses.
Same story for my husband’s 1995 Dodge, which is closing in on 272,000 miles.
In our family, cars are long-term purchases; we drive them till they drop. That’s great for our budget. But it doesn’t work at homecoming.
Our kids, who are generally polite, have refrained from pointing this out. But we know.
So, I’ll figure something out (since I’ll be driving the son who doesn’t have a license.)
These are small details. Logistics.
I’ve read and heard of parents who go to the extreme in spending and arranging their children’s proms, homecomings or other special outings. I don’t think most parents are that way. They simply want a safe, fun time that can become a good memory for their son or daughter.
Is it worth it? You tell me. How well do you remember your homecoming or prom? Looking back, was it an important occasion in your life?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Susan Gast
Comments
By KA
October 12, 2006 08:49 AM | Link to this
Our kids usually went to the prom in a group, gathering at one house for pictures, then travelling by limo to eat out then to the dance and back to the house of origin for breakfast and where the girls spent the night or the parents picked them up (if they weren’t driving yet.) Peace of mind is worth the shared price of the limo, but you need to book it early!
By KA
October 12, 2006 09:08 AM | Link to this
I was in high school in the days before homecoming was a two day event. In the late 60’s we dressed up in suits for the homecoming game and then went to the homecoming dance afterward in the gym. It was great fun! We also had weekly sockhops in the gym after Friday night football and basketball games, great informal mixers that sadly our kids don’t have today.
By Jan
October 12, 2006 12:03 PM | Link to this
Amen to KA- it was a big deal, BUT the prom was The BIG Dress UP event. These kids have NO idea what HomeComing is!!! The dance AFTER the football game was in the gym, very decorated by the way, and always, always a HUGE banner that said “Welcome Alumni”. THAT is what is SUPPOSED TO BE. A Welcome Home Party for The Alumni!!! The thing has become too much, in my opinion - just too too much, Things have really changed. I threatened to GO to the homecoming dance at South Gwinnett last year, but I really never would, MOSTLY because I have two boys at South, that would just “die” if I actually did that, but like KA said, it was suits and football mums and the ONLY ones wearing evening gowns were the Homecoming Queen and her court. Last time I went to a homecoming game only ONE young lady in the court, had on an evening dress and I made a point to tell her that SHE was the only one that LOOKED like part of a court. Some of the girls had on slacks. I graduated in 1968 - so I am just old I guess, but anyway - you asked…………..
Peace!!!
By fk
October 12, 2006 09:09 PM | Link to this
We did not have homecoming where I grew up. At least, not like they have it here. The proms were big. My son has not yet made up his mind as to whether or not he is going to the homecoming dance this year. He’s in tenth grade. He went last year. It was a last minute dash and quite a learning experience for us all. Luckily, because he attended a wedding during the summer, the clothes were not a problem. However, he and a girl decided to go together the Monday or Tuesday before the dance.
That Saturday morning, I insisted that my son get a haircut. Good thing. There were a number of boys in there getting their hair cut, too. And, there were many girls getting themselves done up, really done up. These pretty young teenage girls looked like twenty-something year olds by the time they walked out. I started to get that sinking feeling that my son was ill-prepared. A mother walked in with a bouquet of flowers for her son’s date. OMG…was he supposed to get this girl a bouquet??? No, no, no this mother assured me. This girl was something of the court. A corsage for “just a date” was fine. Great. He probably did not even know what color dress she was wearing!
Everything went off fine. We went across town to a florist where there was no high school homecoming that weekend. The kids all had a great time. My son’s date wound up with a new boyfriend at the end of the night. How the heck did that happen? I was devastated for him, but my son did not seem to care. I worried that at fourteen was he already unsensitive? He said, to both my husband and me, that they went as friends and they went home as friends. Well, he certainly handled the situation much more maturely than his mother ever would have.
There was one thing that really bothered me, and this I blame on the parents. My husband and I were responsible for the pick-up and drop-off at the end of the night. We were supposed to take four other kids home. Well, only two girls plus my son got in. When we inquired as to the whereabouts of the other boy and girl, we were told that they decided to go to an after party. Keep in mind that it was after midnight and they were all only fourteen. They had called their parents. Well, that was all fine, but those parents should’ve let us know that the plans had changed. As responsible adults, how were we to know that these kids actually told their parents where they were going? As far as we were aware, these parents expected us to deliver their children home. Whatever happened to you stick together, watch out for your friends and leave together? Never, ever leave anyone behind. Did I miss something?
By mg
October 13, 2006 09:05 AM | Link to this
My youngest child just had her first homecoming experience(she’s 14)last Saturday night (Parkview) Also her first date, dress and makeup experience to say the least! My son who graduated last year chose to only go to 1 homecoming in his high school career, and it was just “okay” according to him.(He did attend 2 Proms and had a “pretty good” time he said) But this past homecoming event for my daughter was really the cats meow! She and 15 other friends met at our house for pictures. ALL the parents and even some siblings showed up for the picture taking and for the opportunity to fuss over how nice every one looked! We coordinated pick up drivers and the parents who did the driving “to” the event stayed in the restaurant(out of the kids sight but they were aware we were there-good thing as one of the girls zipper on her dress busted and I had to quicky do some remedy safety pinning!)and then we drove them to the dance at school. These kids were so happy to be a part of their school event, loved getting dressed up and getting their hair and make up done by professionals, and going together as a group of good friends and having fun with other friends there at the dance. They danced the entire night and had the time of their lives!! They will remember this night always. And to me her excitment and joy over her first homecoming will stay with me my whole life! Wouldn’t give something like that up for anything. It was absolutly precious.