Senior Prom: Remembering Sharon

I have three different blog posts that I'm in the middle of finishing, but felt compelled to share a quick story from high school. Hopefully some of my fellow HF-L classmates will see this, because many of them will know the Sharon I'm referring to, even if they weren't aware of the story.

Some friends and I were recently discussing senior prom memories, and I thought it might be a good idea to talk a bit about mine. Well, the truth is, I don't really have any memories of my prom because I never went. But while I don't regret at all my decision not to go for "prom's sake", I do regret it very much for another reason.

Having moved so many times from state to state during my childhood, I was always the new kid. It always seemed that right when I was starting to settle in, gain acceptance and establish friends, we'd be uprooted yet again. I talk about this in another upcoming post, so I wont spend more time on it here, but the point is that it wasn't until around the 2nd half of my junior year of HS that I finally started feeling as if I belonged. By the time I got to senior year, I was a much more confident person and I was more engaged with our class.

One of the proudest memories from high school involved our track team. My fellow seniors and I had been undefeated from our freshman year all the way up through our last meet. I was a thrower - shot put and discus. Not all that exciting, but something I was pretty good at, and I contributed to our meet wins on a consistent basis. As senior track season progressed, I had broken the school record and was showing up in both the local and city papers regularly. It was sort of my own niche, as even our coach (who will admit this freely) really had no idea about my particular events. I was essentially self-taught and had to learn by watching people like Olympian Al Oerter and others on video. Every so often my name would be among the others read during morning announcements in homeroom, which for me was really a thrill.

As senior prom approached, several of us realized that we had a real shot at advancing toward the state meet in our respective events. Unfortunately the last tune-up meet - an invitational, not a team meet - was set for the same evening of the prom. It was a very tough decision, but I made the choice to join a few of my friends (Yeckel and Seiler both come to mind, in case anyone from HF-L '90 are reading) in attending this meet, in hopes that it would better prepare us for the road ahead.

Off the top of my head I'm having a hard time recalling the name of the meet, but I know it was one of my favorites of the season. I want to say it was called the East Rochester Invitational, but dont quote me. It was a beautiful night under the lights, and I recall feeling pretty exctied to compete. During one of my early throws, I tripped over the wooden "stop board", which is the part of the shot put circle that marks the front barrier that your foot cannot go beyond or the throw is disqualified. I reaggravated the same knee injury that I sustained earlier that Fall during football season. Not exactly the performance I was hoping for.

While the injury during the track meet was certainly disappointing, it was a phone call I received a few days earlier that really put a smile on my face. A few days before the prom, I received a call from a classmate that I knew and liked, but someone who hung out in different circles than myself. Her name was Sharon B. She was a very outgoing, well-liked, intelligent girl that was always friendly to me and fun to talk with. Much to my surprise, she called me up and said that she hadn't made plans for the prom yet, and was wondering if I might like to go with her. I remember very vividly how it felt in the moment immediately following her question. It was as if I lit up from within. It meant the world to me that she wanted to ask at all, let alone actually making the call!

As you already know my decision on what I actually did, I'll now share the hard part of the story and where my true regret lies.

In the first few years following high school graduation, it's normal to be curious as to what everyone had been up to. Did those with big plans follow through? Who dropped out of college? Who never went to college at all, but chose another path? During one of these conversations with my friend Patrick, he shared some news that absolutely devastated me - that Sharon had died. It makes my heart sink writing about it even tonight, all these years later. I had no idea how to process this news...it was nearly impossible to reconcile this in my mind.

Though Sharon and I weren't close friends, and truth be told we didn't know each other all that well on a personal level, I can say without hesitation that she was one of the most important people of my life....and certainly one of my favorites.

My hope is that one day, a long time from now, I'll get the opportunity to return the courtesy she extended to me...perhaps even take a turn on the dance floor.

God bless you, Sharon...and thank you :)