Sock Hop

I just dropped my son, Connor, off at his new high school for a Sock Hop.  He's dressed up in as close to a 50's outfit as we could come up with, and thankfully, guys didn't have to be quite so decked out back then.  A white shirt with rolled up sleeves, jeans with rolled up cuffs, sunglasses, sneakers...that was it.  I played some Elvis Presley music in the car on the way, along with some of the Grease soundtrack (yes, I have that on my phone, why do you even bother to ask?), and Connor seemed excited, nervous, amused, and nervous again.  Pretty much what I expected.

What I didn't expect was the huge rush of emotions that hit me when I let him out of the car at St John.  The principal was there, greeting students with a hearty thumbs up and handshake, and Connor seemed pleased to see him.  I watched Connor head towards the student center without so much as a backwards glance, and everything hit me all at once.

My boy is in high school.  He's going to his first high school dance.  He's growing up.

I took the long way home, driving through a nearby park, still listening to 50's music and gathering my thoughts.  So clear in my mind and heart were my own memories of being a freshman entering Angleton High School waaay back in 1984.  The awkward was strong in that kid, the young me.  My mom had actually sent me to my first day of summer band in a matching shorts and shirt set.  Seriously.  I know now that she just wanted me to match so I'd look nice. 

I remember all of the excitement I felt, right alongside all of the terror and nervousness.  It was all so big, so new, and there was so much energy everywhere, it was hard to take in.  I loved seeing all the other kids around, even though I was often horrified at the idea of talking to someone I didn't know.  Fortunately, I had already been in band, so I knew lots of upperclassmen already.  That helped a lot.  I had also passed out at attention during summer band, so all the upperclassmen knew me as well.  Win some, lose some.

Now Connor is going through it all.  He was lucky enough to have a Fish Camp, where they played tons of 'get to know you' games, and it's a small school, but the newness, the excitement, and the nerves are all there.  I know the signs.  And I swear, I thought my heart would just burst with love for that boy as I saw him stroll away, following the steady stream of other kids in their 50's outfits.  He was smiling, last I saw.  I hope he has fun tonight, I truly do.  It seems like just yesterday that I was leaning over him, putting an outfit on his tiny body that would have fit a small-sized teddy bear.  Tonight, I had to tell him to sit down while I fixed his hair because he's so much taller than me that I couldn't reach it well enough.

Time flies.  Life is good.  And tonight, Grease is the word.