The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-05-02
GLIM P S G S
tn E P A S T
By CAROLYN LLOYD

Just once a year IL WOulu NC
nice to be sixteen, or seventeen, or
eighteen again and turn back the
clock for week-the week pre-
ceding the Junior-Senior Banquet.
The night itself wouldn't be
enough, for the anticipation of the
event is half the fun. 1t it were
possible, / would choose to be
either Junior or one of the wait
resses and entertainers chosen
from the Sopohmore Class, for it
is always more exciting to be get
ting ready for the banquet than
just sitting and waiting for the
big night to arrive. During that
week parents and teachers are easy
to outtalk when it comes to get
ting the family car or easing off
on homework. There's the excite
ment of putting up the decorations
and seeing the theme come to life,
and the thrill of planning the dress
and wondering what kind of. COR
sage would be just right.
When at last the big night
comes, no society fashion show
ever displayed more beautifully
gowned models. The little girl who
has been running around all day
in blue jeans with her hair done
up on bobby pins becomes as
glamorous as Cinderella at the
ball. Her coach and four may
have been pickup truck, but she
viii not have to watch the clock
for midnight, for the evening is
hers. For this night, rules about
hours have been suspended, and
the world is hers.
At home, some mothers are
collapsed after finally getting
daughters dressed, finding the lost
evening bag, pinning on the cor
sage, and generally riding the
whirfwind. Some are in the ban
quet kitchen up to the elbows in
chicken slaad, but all are sharing
the vicarious happiness. Fathers
are pretending Indifference while
secretly feeling a glow of pride
in the son or daughter who sud-
denly looks like perfect stranger.
They may have pretended disgust
at SO much fuss and expense and
made loud comments about wkSt
tough time they had as boys; but,
in truth, they, too. would like to
be young just long enough to take
their best girls to the banquet.
The boys themselves may have
done little complaining about the
necessity of wearing ties and
coats for few hours but only
because they thought the COM
plants established their masculine
contempt for such fancy doings
and let the girls know that big
sacrifice was being made for their
sake. That done, they were free
to admire themselves in white
jacket and bouttoniere.
1t does seem, though that the
girls have an edge on the boys
when it comes to formal affairs.
just when a dress becomes a
gown" is a fine distinction that
escapes me; but this l do know
an evening gown has more magic
powers than Houdini and all the
other magicians. Only a girl could
know, though she couldn't really
explain, how a swirl of tulle or
lace around her ankles can trans
form her into a princess. Suddenly
she feels like Cleopatra, Madam
DuBarry and all the other femme
fatales rolled into one. Ten years
later she may be a settled house
wife who does well to get a new
sport dress once a year, but there
is the memory of that beautiful
dress and her night of glory and
she can look forward with pleasure
to being one of the mothers in the
kitchen when her daughter