School Days

My Very Worst Date was completely my fault. I was a senior in high school and was voted “Drill Team King” (sort of the male version of Homecoming Queen). Because of the honor, I was invited to their banquet. A few days before the event, I was at a dance at the high school gym and noticed one of the Drill Team girls approaching me with the support and encouragement of a couple of her friends. Finding more courage than I would have had, she cast her shyness aside long enough to ask me to go to the banquet with her. Without even blinking, I said yes.

We didn’t really know each other prior to the event so there was a measure of social awkwardness.  At some point during the evening, I found myself in the hallway outside the ballroom arguing loudly for all to hear with another Drill Team girl about my hurt feelings that she hadn’t asked me to the banquet. We had gone out a few times and she was the one who nominated me for the honor. All the while my date was left to wonder why she ever bothered. She must have been horrified at the scene and I could tell that she just wanted the evening to be over.

After realizing what a complete jerk I was, I offered in vain to make it up to her.  She very tactfully but effectively put me in my place with an echoing “no.” While I was so busy being full of myself, I also managed to ruin the young lady’s evening. It was completely selfish, thoughtless, inconsiderate, stupid and juvenile. I had lost the opportunity to get to know a really great girl, one who mistakenly thought I was worth asking (I am now). That was 29 years ago and I regret it to this day.