My Senior Prom date changed my life.

This is true.

This just hit me today as I was sitting and supposedly studying my Oceanography mumbo jumbo. My senior prom date changed my life.

I am going to Chicago in two days because of my senior prom date.

I am possibly (probably) going to Samford University in the fall as a musical theatre major because of my senior prom date.

I wouldn't know hundreds of people that I know now if weren't for my senior prom date.

Let's do a little background info. It's my senior year of highschool. I'm having the time of my life. I have the best friends I could ever ask for (who remain to this day my best friends), I'm involved with a few school activities, I'm on homecoming court, etc...when I'm not laughing hysterically and having amazing times with my best friends, you would most likely find me in my room studying for hours and hours and I mean, HOURS for my 7 classes...that were not easy. But, being the nerd that I am, I had a 4.5 GPA...is that possible? Ew. What the heck? haha.

Anyways, I was never popular in high school. I was never UNPOPULAR either...my school is sorta hard to explain. There weren't like the "cool" kids and the "uncool kids", or the "jocks" and the "cheerleaders"...actually, the jocks weren't that awesome and the cheerleaders comprised of mostly awkward girls, with the exception of some. But, anyways, there were 85 of us so, we all knew each other. We basically knew everything about everyone. We weren't all best friends or anything near that, but, everybody knew your name and at least one or two facts about you.

Introduce--->Prom Date. Prom date was the shiznit. He was in the "Chapel band" or the "God Squad" as they were sometimes referred to as (Yes, I went to a 'christian' high school) He played the drums. He was the "Hottie" of the grade. All the girls just loooved Prom Date. (we'll call him PD for now) He was the total package. He was good looking, sweet, hilarious, talented, athletic, and flashed an enormous smile of a hundred watt teeth at any given moment.

Again, let me reiterate that prom date was the shiz.

Introduce---> Me. I'm short. I'm awkward. I say awkard things. I am somewhat attractive...possibly, if you like that sorta thing. I laugh obnoxiously loud...and I'm all around awkward.

I was never one for crushes. For a good while I thought I lacked hormones entirely. I thought the occasional boy was "cute" or had a "crush" on him, but, I've always been super old fashioned and was born with a 40 year old church-bred woman's idea of dating and men. "Why would you date for 'fun' when you're like 13? You're not going to marry him"..."I want a really strong Christian man who's mature and is waiting for marriage."

...you know that deal.

Okay, so, someday, somehow, somewhere...something went off inside of me and I become downright SMITTEN with PD. I think it might have been at the FCA meetings I helped lead when he would play in his band during the worship portion. I'm not quite sure. I just remember falling in like with him.

I had it bad. But, as always, I never thought much of it because I've always been pretty much virtually invisible to members of the opposite sex. Guys have never really cared much for Shara. So, I kinda hated the fact that I had a crush on him. I actually remember telling God I was mad one night because he made me get crushes on guys who didn' t know I existed and would never like me too. I told him it wasn't very nice. HA

Anyways, so flash forward a bit. I'm not going to go into complete detail because this post would be so endless and I haven't even gotten to the point.

Eventually, one night...at around 2 AM in the morning ( I know, what the heyyyy)...prom date asks ME to the prom. WHAT?!?!??!!?! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!?!?! I know, that's exactly what i thought. It remains to this day, the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me. It seemed like a movie. The popular guy asking the unpopular dork to the prom...and this guy happened to be the dork's MAJOR crush. WHAT? Stuff like that doesn't happen to me. It may seem like totally not a big deal, but, it really meant a lot to me...especially in my more than extremely unromantic life.

Okay, so prom night arrives and PD picks me up and tells me i look SO BEAUTIFUL (i just had to add that in there hehehehe)...oh, and funny note...I had the great idea of wearing fake nails AND fake toenails...and just as PD was pulling up to my house, my toenails popped off so, I was gluing my toenails on as he was walking in the door. AWKWARD SHARA MUCH!?!?! Yeah, just a little.

OKAY SO POINT OF LONG POST....on our way to dinner, PD and I were talking about ministry (What? who does that on prom? ...me. I love Jesus, what can I say?) and he was like,

"Hey, have you ever heard of Student Life?"

"Nope."

"...and they have this drama team...and they're amazing. You should do that."

THIS BRINGS ME TO MY POINT. I would have NEVER heard of SL if it hadn't been for my prom date. I would have never looked into it online, found out that it was exactly what I wanted to do, and apply and audition. I would have never been hired and flew to Birmingham, AL in May 2007. I would have never been on the AMAZZZZZING Blue Team 2007 and traveled the US as the characters of Kim and Emo Emily. I would have never met Chelsea Reynolds one of my BFFFFFFFFFFS. If I had never met Chelsea, I would have never heard of Samford University. I would have never applied to Samford. I would not be going there in the fall.

If I hadn't heard of SL, I would have never met certain people that I met at SL. One of these people in particular being, my friend Clark. Back in September, Clark told me to look into colleges in Chicago. I did, and I decided to apply and audition for Roosevelt University/CCOPA. Thus bringing me to two days from now when I will be flying to Chicago, IL and auditioning for RU...and having VACA.

All of this goes back to my SENIOR PROM DATE. If it wasn't for him, I would be completely different...and my future as of right now would be COMPLETELY different. I owe a lot of amazing friendships, priceless memories, growth, and joy to my senior prom date.

So, thank you, Senior Prom Date. Thank you for seeing past all the other girls in my grade and actually noticing the invisible girl a few lockers down from you. Thank you for not caring what people thought and asking me if I wanted to go to prom with you in the midst of social status (HAHAH)

My Senior prom date changed my life.

Well, sorta.

but, I'm freakin going to CHICAGO in two days so, I is EXCITTTEEEED

Sincerely,

Thankful cookie.

P.S. Oh, how that picture makes me LAUGH.