Talk About a Steel Magnolia

I've been having a little bit of fun sharing some of my older posts from back when NOBODY was reading my blog. This one was originally posted back in May '08 and was QUITE a night. Hank and I felt a strange combination of emotions...we were mad as heck but really proud at the same time. Tell me what you think...

May 5, 2008

Lorelai is a high school senior and attends a small private school in our community. Legare went to the local public high school. I'm a big believer in public education but also a big believer that not every situation is good for every child. Legare would not have liked Lor's school but it is perfect for her.

She invited a boy (here ever after known and referred to in this blog as "Boy") she has known casually...an acquaintance really...to attend her prom on Saturday night. Boy is a friend of Lor's friend Riley's boyfriend, Ralph.

J.D., a good ol' lowcountry boy who attends the same church youth group that Lor does asked her to his prom at Legare's alma mater on Friday night. Our good ol' boy wore a black tux with a camouflage vest and tie. Some of you may be cringing but honest to goodness, NOBODY is more peculiar about things than this southern belle and I'll declare...it really did work for him. We all liked it....even Legare, who has very little camouflage in his wardrobe and definitely Hank, who has a lot of camouflage in HIS wardrobe. Lorelai wore her gorgeous pageant gown and they made quite a nice picture. She had a fine time and J.D. was quite the gentleman.

Saturday night was another story entirely. Lor and I were both feeling edgy for some odd reason as Boy's arrival time drew near. He was on time but something just wasn't right...a mother's intuition. Hank and I only laid eyes on Boy once before and he didn't make enough of an impression on either one of us that we even remembered what he looked like. He was oddly chatty...

We went out in the front yard to do the requisite photos of the presentation of the boutonniere and corsage then Hank, Legare and I followed Boy and Lor the 10 miles or so to the country club where the whole group was assembling to meet the limousine.

I'll be dadgummed if Boy didn't run off the side of the road three times between here and there. I was fit to be tied by the time we parked the car and joined the group of students and parents snapping pictures. I spoke to a couple of folks and noticed Lor out the corner of my eye walking arm in arm with her daddy under the oaks. After a few minutes she walked back toward Boy, whom Ralph had engaged in quite an animated conversation over by the golf course.

Hank informed me very matter-of-fact-like that Lor, in a likewise manner, informed him that Boy had been drinking and that she was telling him that he had to leave. She wasn't ASKING Hank what she should do. She was TELLING him what she was GOING to do. All she needed from him was to keep ME as far away from the whole thing as possible....she could handle it and didn't want me going into "mama rage" all over Boy. By this time, a couple of other parents were noticing that something wasn't quite right and began strolling over toward the golf course where Lor, our beautiful, strong, confident, 17 year old steel magnolia of a southern belle was giving Boy what for!!! I don't know when we've been so proud.

Boy went on his way....good riddance to an immature pitiful excuse for a prom date who had so little respect for our daughter, her parents, her friends, her school and HIMSELF that he would come into our home, put her in his vehicle and drive her through town to meet the limo for her senior prom while TANKED!!! Thank GOD, that He had already laid a sense of unrest about the whole thing on both Lor and me. HOW DARE THIS BOY PUT OUR DAUGHTER IN HIS TRUCK AND SO MUCH AS START THE IGNITION WHEN HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE. My only regret is that we didn't take his keys and wait with him for his daddy to come get him...it all happened so fast and we were so distracted with Lorelai that we weren't thinking.

How does one salvage prom night after such a brouhaha? We (moms and friends) gave Lor about 60 seconds to sob and with a flurry of make-up cases, water bottles, and diet cokes, our gal pulled herself together and joined the others for group photos minus Boy. Did I already say good riddance to bad rubbish?? She told me later that in a symbolic gesture, she ripped the corsage off of her wrist and slammed it into the ladies room trash can. Then I reminded her that Boy didn't even buy the corsage...her daddy and I bought the corsage. Oh well...if it made her feel better...

Even though she admits that for another hour or so she really just wanted to WAIL, she held her head up high, got in the limo, and had a good time with her really really good and caring friends for the rest of the evening. I'll tell you what else...it took a lot of character for her to do what she did and it surely was not easy, especially with most of the high school and their parents milling around 50 feet away. She's quite something, our Lorelai!