Prom of 1970

We all had homemade dresses for prom; well, nearly all of us. This was back in 1970 while black and white Viet Nam War photos were on TV Every night, we saw such sadness. Prom was a reminder of childhood. Back to the Bibbity Bobbity Boo of Cinderella. We girls were wearing empire waist dresses. It was the style, little bows at the top of our hair. We were fancy poodles, primping in our two inch heels. Not high ones like our mothers. We had already fallen off those. Traded in our hip hugger bell bottoms that magical night For dresses in chiffon, polished cotton, and satins. We were so shiny, it is a miracle a murder of crows did not carry us off. The boys had on their best suits; not tuxes. We were in a small Iowa farm town. Many of the couples would marry two weeks later after graduation. I remember how hard the junior class worked to make it beautiful for us. There were tin foil stars and crepe paper streamers everywhere. A strobe light, and music piped in from the folk heroes of the time. Peter Paul and Mary, Mama Cass, Simon and Garfunkel. Sometimes a song by Cher or Bette Midler but not as often. The food was fantastic. The company wonderful. Our first semi-formal dinner. I have never forgotten it. In one way it was like middle school which we called junior high. The boys stood around talking and laughing, and the girls danced like mad. It was such an innocent and fun time! Taking the Viet Nam War, And the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Out of our minds for one magical bibbity bobbity boo night. May 1970. A memory that uplifts me to this day. The last time I spoke to some of my classmates. As a few were sent to Viet Nam after graduation never to return.