June 10, 2016- Dancing

 

 

I’m embarrassed to be dancing around at concerts, maybe partly because mom used to tell people that when I was a little girl I used to dance around to the” I Dream of Jeannie” theme and that song from the Gypsy soundtrack- “You Gotta Have a Gimmick” sometimes. I was always so humiliated when she did that in the 70s- mid 80s.

   It’s just so hard for me let go of past moments like that. I did dance around a lot at the DD Foxwoods concert which I totally regret. Amy has asked me if I was feeling ashamed at the time or not until afterwards; a little during and much more later on.

   In 1979 or 1980, Cindy, Jessica and I were disco dancing in the basement at our house. Mike was mainly waving a flashlight around to make it seem like we were at a club. “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer was one of the songs that I remember from that day.

   We had been having a good time until Cindy fell and slightly injured her head when hitting it on an end table.

   Jim H asked me to dance at our 8^th grade “M*A*S*H” - themed dance but I turned him down and felt so ashamed because he had only done this as part of a dare. I saw 2 boys talking to him and laughing and pointing to me before he came over to me. They were laughing afterwards too.

   I’ve never really danced with a guy; doing so with my cousin Kevin at his wedding does not count. That was in 1988 at a country club in Saratoga Springs, NY.

   I can’t remember my 2 proms that well which is probably for the best. I’m wishing that I had never even gone to them. Friends of the family set me up with dates for both. “One More Night” by Phil Collins was the theme for junior year. 

   My date looked a little like the actor Jon Cryer. He only went because a classmate of his was there; he seemed to be talking to her more than me. They were seniors. I might’ve danced with him but only for like 30 seconds.

 My brother called him Duckie but not to his face. That was the name of Jon’s character in Pretty in Pink. I hadn’t even seen that movie until a year after that- I wasn’t really that into those teenie bopper films like my friend Cindy was. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was okay, I guess. 

   I had an even worse time at my senior prom and was so glad when that night was over.” Never Say Goodbye” was the theme. I never did care for that song because it brought back some bad memories.

   I’ve only seen Bon Jovi perform that once at a concert- Giants Stadium 2001. I’m pretty sure that I’m right about this. A friend of a friend did dance with my date but I don’t think that I did. I’d rather not remember.

 

I Dream of Jeannie-opening sequence

 

1983

 Jon Cryer-on right

 

 

 

 

Note- The Jeannie and Donna Summer photos are from the internet

 

Senior Prom 1987

As with my junior prom, I was set up with my date by another friend of the family/mom's coworker. This time it was with her son. The prom song was Bon Jovi - Never Say Goodbye. I remember having a miserable time at this event and being glad when I got home. I still have the hair accessory and gloves from it. I gave the big earrings to my cousin. Mom took some pictures of us by the house too but I didn't feel like scanning those.

Junior Prom 1986

I can't believe that it has been 25 years since my Junior prom, not that I really enjoyed myself at this event. I was set up for it with a friend of our family friend and I think that the only reason that he was going was because one of his friends had also been set up with a guy in my class. They were both seniors. We are all in the picture outside of my apartment. The prom theme song was Phil Collins' One More Night. I don't really remember much about the night only that I was glad when it was over and wished that I hadn't even gone. Boy does my hair look ridiculously high. My brother and others said that my date looked like Duckie from Pretty In Pink. I wonder if my aunt still has that Jessica McClintock Gunne Sax southern belle type dress in her attic - probably not, I think that she had been planning on giving this and other stuff to the thrift shop years ago. I do still have the gloves, shawl and jewelry though.

Prom Time

I saw a report on the news last night about proms and it just brought back some unpleasant memories of my junior and senior proms. I kind of wish that I hadn't even gone to both of them. I didn't have a boyfriend so I had to be set up by friends of the family. I don't even remember if I was even that thrilled about going- maybe I only did so because I didn't want to feel like I missed out on these events.

Junior prom 1986- our family friend Paula set me up with a classmate of hers. She was a year ahead of me. His name was Billy and he looked a little like Duckie from Pretty In Pink. The prom song was Phil Collins' One More Night. A girl friend of his went with a classmate of mine and most of the night the two of them talked. I can't even remember if I danced with Billy. I might have but just for a bit.

Senior prom 1987- I went with the son of a coworker of my mother. He was in his early 20's or maybe it was closer to mid. I was feeling pretty uncomfortable the whole night. An aquaintance of mine said that he was cute and I think I did dance with him for like a minute. The song was Bon Jovi's Never Say Goodbye. There was a get together at the school afterwards but I was feeling like crap and we only stayed about 10 minutes. I was so glad when the night was over.

My dresses from these events were in my aunt's attic for many years. I think that I told her that she could take them to the thrift shop eventually. The junior year one was like a Southern Belle style. I think that the brand was Jessica McClintock or something like that. It was pink. The senior year one was like a long, sleeveless evening gown and was black. I looked at the pictures in my album recently and was thinking that I look ridiculous especially because of my hairstyle. It was short and very high both times.

Part of me wishes that I had a real boyfriend in high school and that I could have enjoyed myself at these events but another part of me is sticking with the "Proms are so stupid" belief. I guess that if you were popular and/or liked high school then prom time was a special event. I was a complete dork back then and still am. I really hate even thinking about my high school days but sometimes such memories pop up into my head.

my music 2

Certain songs or albums bring back chilhood memories. My mom and I used to listen to her albums of musicals and watched the movies too. Gypsy, Bye Bye Birdie, Gigi, Oklahoma,South Pacific, The Sound of Music, The Music Man . I don't really like musicals anymore though. Mom said that when I was a little girl that I sometimes danced around to a song from Gypsy-how embarrasing- and also to the theme of I Dream of Jeannie.

I remember listening to Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down tape during the car ride to the mall with my cousin Mary and Gene David's girlfriend Sue. We were going to see the movie Star Trek 3 there. During the ride to upstate NY in the late 80's I had Mellencamp's Scarecrow on my walkman. Mark had his Styx tape Kilroy Was Here tape on during the drive back from AC. Dad asked "what is this?' Don't think that he cared for it. He's mostly into classical music. Not such positive memories of my high school prom themes because I didn't have a boyfriend and was set up with friends of a friend. Never Say Goodbye for senior and One More Night for junior.

Whenever I hear Billy Idol's Eyes Without a Face I think of Great Adventure because this was playing during one of the rides- I think it was called the Matterhorn. That was in the early 80's. My friends Suzy, Jenny and brother Mark were disco dancing to Donna Summer in the basement in the late 70's. It was fun until Suzy fell and hit her head on the coffee table. A Blondie record was playing at Kathy's birthday/slumber party. When I hear The Tide Is High I sometimes think of this. Karen brought her Off the Wall album to school one day. Cindy gave me John Cougar- American Fool as a secret santa gift. That's what got me into Mellencamp's music.

I remember my parent's being very upset when they heard on the radio that Elvis had died. Didn't know much about him then other than I enjoyed his Christmas album. I loved most of my parent's Christmas albums and still do. The classics are the best. Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Dean Martin and others.

We could've seen Rosemary Clooney at the Regis and Kathie Lee show in the late 80's but mom was in the hospital and I was afraid to go into the city alone. That's a shame because she is mom's favourite girl singer. We did go to that show a few other times but I don't remember much about this- my brother remembers more than me. The day that mom and I went Phil Collins was there. We had 2 extra tickets and these 2 girls had driven from Ohio,I think. They were so greatful to us. He did a bit of In The Air Tonight on the drums. Mom took pictures of him for me. Petula Clark was a guest the day that Mark and I went. Mom was in the hospital again. The audience sang part of Downtown. My memory of the musical guests is fine. Mark said that Gary Coleman was there the time that Mom, Dad , Mark and I were there in the mid 80's. Dad made me get Regis' autograph even though I really didn't want it and he took a picture of me and Regis together. How embarrasing. Mom, Mark , our friend Stacey and her mom Barbara and I went there once. The only thing that I remember about that was that the producer Gelman made me move over a seat and I wouldv'e won the prize if I had been in that seat. Still mad about that. Mark said that the guest was Dom DeLouise and that Stacey was wishing it had been his son Peter because she liked 21 Jump Street. I guess that music is significant to me which is why that part sticks in my brain more than other things.

I still have the list of the top 95 songs from 1983 from WPLJ and hadn't looked at it for a very long time and got a kick out of it when I did. Two by my favourite group-Hungry Like the Wolf and Is There Something I Should Know. I don't even really remember them from before 1993. I do remember the one day on the playground in 82 or 83 when some of my classmates were talking about them and saying which one was their favourite and I was laughing on the inside and wondering why they wer going so ga ga over Duran Duran but now I can understand why and kind of wish that I had been into them back then too. I could go on and on about this topic but I'll save it for another day.