Will you go to the prom with me?

I recently emailed a funny video link to my single girlfriends and as I was typing their email addresses I was bewildered when I realized just how few single women I know.

This realization rocketed my memory back to a specific feeling I had in 1993 when I was a senior in high school and all the single people were pairing up for prom dates. I had a crush on my best guy friend but he had an on-again-off-again girlfriend who I suspected he would take. BUT he hadn't asked her yet and I was stubborn and really wanted to go with him so I waited it out. There was still hope! As I waited I wandered my high school's hallways looking at every guy who passed by evaluating him to see if he'd be a good backup date. I would immediately dismiss him because either he was too cool for me (most of them) or I was too cool for him (any guy smaller than me).

But really, my ego just wanted that Perfect Prom Date. I would listen to all the other girls talk about their dates, their dresses, where they were going for dinner and just smile and say, "That sounds great!" Meanwhile, I was thinking, "Where's MY guy?!" Finally, the time arrived when I had to know the answer so after some coaching from my mother I got up the courage and called up my crush. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: "Hey...[cough]...so I was thinking....that if you didn't have a prom date and I didn't have a prom date by next week then we could just go together."
Him: "........[Laugh out loud] You'll find somebody."
Me: "[Holding back tears] Okay, yeah, no, you're probably right."

HORRIFYING!!!

The way I felt when I hung up that phone in 1993 is exactly how I felt when I sent this email yesterday.

And that feeling is "FUCK! I've waited too long!"

I was doing the exact same thing back then that I did for years in my adult life which is dismiss a bunch of great guys in the middle of the pack who would be worth my time but I don't feel would live up to the ideal I have imagined in my mind for my Perfect Prom Date, Perfect Boyfriend, Perfect Husband, etc.

Now that I'm 33 years old (almost 34) I'm looking around the local pubs, galleries and cafes searching for ONE guy who's single, cute and not afraid of a 33-year old and realizing that most of them are paired up or looking for someone younger.

Have I waited too long??? SHIT!!!

For my senior prom I ended up going with an acquaintance who I had one class with when I was a freshman but who I hadn't spoken too since. He's a really nice guy but I wasn't attracted to him. But we had fun. Mainly because we went with a huge group of people who were all one level cooler than me so I made some new friends.

He and I slow danced once and it was awkward because we didn't know each other that well and he wasn't very good at it. The rest of the night all the guys just bounced around in a mosh pit as those were the Nivana days (consequently, all the girls had to help them find their cufflinks to their rented tuxes at the end of the night).

I'm experienced enough to know now that I need to give guys at least 3 dates before I strike them off the list but I'm not letting go of my high standards. It was okay to settle for a prom date but I'm not settling for a husband who is just a friend and can't "dance" very well. So if I have to wait.... I'll wait.