I sent my youngest son off to his first Homecoming Dance. It’s a semi-formal affair around here, so I sent him in a shirt and tie. He wasn’t exactly excited about going, but his big sister made the request that he come. She is a senior this year and wanted to share in this “first” together.

My daughter told him there will be lots of “single Pringles”. I don’t know if that’s original to my daughter but that’s what she calls kids without a date. So he didn’t need to actually get a date himself if he wasn’t ready for that.

My daughter did have a date so they left before to take pictures and have dinner. As I drove my son over to meet my daughter and her date at the high school, I tried to impress on him the importance of these kinds of dances.

“These girls do not get all dress up hoping they will just stand against a wall, so please have the courage to ask those single Pringles to dance. And if one asks you to dance, please don’t ever say no. It takes a lot of courage on their part too, so–“

“I know, I know,” he said. “You’ve told me a thousand times–be kind.”

Well, at least I’m now assured that he’s heard me talking all this time. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of that school to see if he actually puts all my years of advice into action. I see great potential in him to be an amazing kid, the kind that can change the atmosphere of a situation. He’s naturally charismatic, which, like everything, can be use for good or bad. My fingers are crossed that he’ll choose to use it for good.