[M.D. Holloway]

Our Son goes to the Friday Night Dances (7-11pm) pretty much every week. These activities are closely monitored and the kids play games, dance and generally have fun. The age group is 10 to 13 typically and they also have high school kids there to work the dance along with adults and a few cops. All-in-all it is actually a pretty good gig. (he does something similar for Church during the week but it combines Bible study as well.

This past Friday I stopped at the school at 10:45 to pick him and his buds up. I walk in, the cop knows me by name and the parents let me in and I see our Son on the dance floor with a bunch of his buds including girls getting down to 'Cotton Eye Joe' - pretty funny to watch but I was impressed with his moves and energy. He was doing well. After the song he sees me and comes over with the other boys I'm supposed to drive home.

"Dad. please. Give me 5 more minutes. Really! Please!"

"OK Buddy, you got it."

I can tell when he really needs me to say OK. He was up to something but not something bad. So I wait in the lobby. The cop says "Wheres your son?" "I gave him 5 more minutes. I think he wanted to keep dancing." I said.

"Sounds like a slow dance, you sure?" he asks.

"He was pretty animate sir. I'm sure what ever it was, those 5 minutes were important." I said.

His friends were in the lobby with me and I ask "Whats Max doing"?

"He's slow dancing with *******" one says.

After a while he comes out and we make our way to the car and then home. Typical boy banter occurs till we drop the last boy home.

"Dad, I gotta tell you something." he says

"OK, Whats up"? I brace myself

"I slow danced with *******!" He says

"Wow. Thats cool. You were you respectful"? I ask.

"Yup, I also asked her out and she said that we don't see each other enough." He said.

"See each other enough? You have known her sense Pre-K." I say.

"I know!" he says. "I told her we had history. That I always crushed on her." He said.

"Well, if you like her and you really want her as a girlfriend, keep up the interest but balance it with plenty of respect."

Jump forward to tonight. We were invited to a wine and cheese at ******* parents home. We have know them for years. They have an annual W&C party with the best grape, stogies and viddles you can imagine. They live in a gated community and their parties are the stuff of legend each year. Only the 'In" crowd gets invited from a few towns around. My wife thought it important that one of us make a showing so I put on my best blazer and argyle sweater and punched in the code to their hood. I was met at the door but ******* mom (who looked fantastic BTW). She says "Mike! I am so glad you made it. I have to tell you, your son is very much the gentlemen!" She gushes.

"Thank you for inviting us. My Wife was;t feeling well so I'm here to represent. I was told he and ******* had a nice time at the dance last night." I said.

"Let me tell you, he is all gentlemen. ******* was blown away. He asked her to slow dance and then he asked her if it was OK if he put his hands on her waist to slow dance. After the dance he asked if they could be boyfriend / girl friend. She was so happy. We have always been impressed by his manners." She said.

"Well, he is and always has been smitten with *******. Since 1st grade when they went out to lunch for his Birthday with and you and Li, he really likes her."

"He is a wonderful boy. You have done a great job raising him. He called her today just to say hi and to tell her he had a good time last night and that he couldn't talk long because he was at a Scout event teaching younger scouts."

She went on to say "I guess ******* told him that they really didn;t get a chance to see each other enough to 'go-out' and he told her 'we don't need to see each other alol the time, we have history, thats better than a daily see right?'.'" She laughed.

Well, can't fault a guy for a creative close! So I guess she said yes.

I am bursting with pride.