My One and Only Prom

That's what I said...My one and only prom and it wasn't even my own high school prom and I was no longer in high school.

My date was Clayton Freeman. I attended Valdosta High School and he attended Lowndes County High School. Rival high school, too. Anyway, Clayton and I started dating each other when I had graduated from high school. He was a member of the Church and I had the biggest crush on him. I never considered that I was in love with him although we had a relationship that lasted for more than two years. When he left to go on his mission to Fiji, we continued to write to each other. And, the night that he was released as a missionary, he called me and said he wanted to see me the first night he got back in Valdosta. We did see each other, he wanted to get married and I didn't. I considered myself still too young and there was a big world out there to explore without being married. So, I broke his heart and I later moved to New Jersey with the family.

Clayton was a wonderful person. He is the first guy that I ever dated. I remember he took me to see "Love Story" with Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw. It was a great chick flick and I admire him for taking me. He gave me a bracelet that had my name engraved on the top and his underneath. (I think I still have that bracelet in my jewelry box). I have nothing but fond memories of Clayton other than the time he hurt my feelings at a summer Youth Conference in Tallahassee, but we got over that. The last I heard about Clayton was that he'd married a girl I knew and they later divorced. Wonder what he's doing now? Just curious.

But, back to the prom...I made the dress I'm wearing. I used to design and make all my own clothes - I loved doing that. And, I was standing on the bottom step as Clayton was much taller than me. He gave me an orchid coursage, we went to the prom and had a wonderful time. So, that was my one and only prom.

This is my heartthrob picture of Clayton all dressed up in his 1970's attire. He was good-looking. The other picture was taken at Reed Bingham State Park in Adel in either 1970 or 1971. It was while Dad was in Vietnam and this was a family outing that Mom allowed Clayton to be a part of. That's Nancy sitting on the kiddie ride.