slingback heels and high school loves

I went out in search of the perfect pair of heels yesterday. I had been shopping for them for awhile. You know the ones that you could never wear carrying a 3 year old toddler having a tantrum? They're so impractical, but necessary altogether. Why, necessary? Well, partly for the military ball we're attending this month in Breckinridge, and partly because they just have this "oomph" that I sometimes lose sight of in my day to day life. So when I spotted a pair on clearance at Ross, I just had to grab them. They are black, high, full of moxie. Love 'em and they were considerably less than the ones I was eyeing at Wal Mart. That always gets me giddy, too, a good deal.

Ron didn't go with me to my high school proms, neither of them. I knew him then, he was the big brother of a friend of mine. I had a mad crush on him. We were very good friends. Still I went to both of my proms stag. I pretended I liked it that way.

These military formals are a bit peculiar. Everyone dresses up to the nines. The Army soldiers in their best uniforms, their spouses or dates in fancy dresses (or tuxedos). We go through a receiving line of distinguished guests and high ranking officers. Then we walk into the ballroom and ... sit. We sit for the entire night. Unless it's award time and you happen to be one of the soldiers receiving an award. You sit through the dinner ("Beef or chicken?"), the dessert, the slideshows, and speeches. That's why such impractical but necessary high heels work, because you're doing so much sitting. We're excused, and we leave. And, that's the night.

So, why do I look forward to all this? Is it the fact I get one on one time with Ron? Is it because we get to be around other adults and finish a meal without getting up? Well, it goes back to high school, really. I get to relive high school prom in a way, but this time I get to have a date. It's not just that I don't have to go stag, but I get to go with the one I should have gone with from the get go, the one I'm glad didn't get away. It's kind of silly and sappy, but it's true. Oh, and I get to go in a pair of great shoes I would have never had the good taste to pick out in high school.