10 Years Later

I found myself thinking about something that I didn't do 10 years ago. A decade ago I made a choice, and this weekend I started to wonder if it was the right one.

Let me back track a little...

On Saturday I helped my friend Sydney do her little brother's girlfriend's hair for Prom. We did her friends hair too. Doing hair for special events when you are at the stage in the game that we are is... stressful. You can practice and practice on your doll head, but when it comes down to it different hair reacts differently and something that looked wonderful on my doll head Maria might not look so great on a real head.

Trying to do hair in a timely manner for a special event is nerve wracking. I'm glad there were two of us. Because what we were originally trying to do did not work out. When you see it's not working, you get hit with wave of heat. I start sweating, and my stomach drops. My mind starts racing on what I can do instead as this cute little doe eyed 17 year old stares at me anxiously. We had to tweak a couple of things, but when all was said and done it looked awesome! No I don't have any pictures. Yes I know that is stupid to do. Not take pictures.

As I watched other people take pictures of these girls I started to think. Think back to when I was that age and how I decided to not go to my prom. It was simple. I had no date. I had no prospects of a date. And I didn't want to spend that kind of money and effort on something to go stag. So I decided not to go. I don't regret not going alone. I regret that I didn't meet Jimmy a few years earlier. I asked him if we could go back in time so he could take me to my Prom. He said yes. Isn't he sweet?

I realized yesterday that even if Jimmy and I had know each other in 2002, he left for his Mission in April and Prom was in May. So we wouldn't have been able to go anyway. Darn. Guess I don't need that time machine after all.

Maybe I should go cruise the High Schools and see if I can find any senior boys who need a last minute prom date. It would be fun to get all dressed up, and I could probably do my own hair. But it would also be illegal. And I'm married so it would probably be awkward as well. Probably not such a good idea.

Regrets are a funny thing. If I went back and changed things, who knows what else I would have changed. Each experience has been a learning one, no matter how bad it sucked at the time. Perhaps it's for the best that I didn't go to my Prom. The only time I've danced all dolled up in a pretty dress with someone I love was at my wedding. And it was perfect. Maybe it's better that way.