Winter Ball 2011

Luke's Winter Ball 2011...Well, getting dressed for it anyway

Luke is a freshman this year and went to his first winter ball. This happened in November but I forgot to post it, so here it is. As a typical teenager Luke waited until the last minute to think about getting dressed for something that had a specific start time that could not be altered. The Winter Ball would be held at the Hilton Waikoloa, a thirty minute drive from our house. The doors would open at six and close at six thirty. anyone arriving after the doors close would be out of luck and have to head home to be yelled at by their parents while they sat there miserable in fine clothes.

Luke's best friend Josh was over at the house and needed to be dropped off at his house, ten minutes in the opposite direction from where we needed to be by 6:30. I tell Luke that he needs to be ready to leave the house at 5:30 if we are going to make it in time. 

5:30- Knock on bathroom door and tell him we gotta go and is he ready. "Yeah, just a minute"

I head out to the Excursion and wait.

5:40-"Luke! come on we gotta go" I employed. "I'll be right there Dad, chill out!"

5:48-"Damn it Luke, if we don't leave right now I don't think they'll let you in and I wanted to take a photo!"

As Josh and I wait by the car Luke comes trundling out, shoes untied, tie untied and shirt not tucked in. What the hell! I'm thinking but not saying: "What have you been doing the last half hour!"

Well I see what has to be done and jump in his face and show him how to tie a tie, first one for him. I then instruct him on how to properly tuck your shirt in your pants, another first and grab my camera to capture the moment before we race off to toss Josh at home and break the speed limit to try and get to the Hilton in less than twenty-five minutes.

Our speed trip to the ball is spent me explaining how you have to know when you have to be somewhere and then backtrack subtracting time for what you have to do before you head out the door, "Proper time management "I tell him "Is the difference between being a screwup and succeeding in life. Know what time you have to be somewhere and then figure out how much time you need to do the things you need doing to get there on time and then add ten minutes for the unforeseen crap that always pops up."

He was glad to get out of the car and out of the sound of my advice filled voice when we got to the hotel. He spied several other latecomers racing for the ballroom and yelled "Later Dad!" as he jumped out of the car and chased safter them.

He made the ball in time, learned how to tie a tie, tuck in his shirt and got a look at how being on time means something.

Don't know if he ever tied his shoes though.

Brian