Make Room for You Know Who

My teenage daughter goes to Alabama School of Fine Arts, a very competitive magnate school in Birmingham. All the students are hand-picked gifted children with very artsy leanings, and I sometimes worry that her exposure to different types of people is way too limited. An opportunity came up in which a certain boy from a local "regular" public school wanted to ask her to the homecoming dance. I informed her of this fact, and even though she likes the boy, she replied, "Well, I don't know."

Keep in mind that ASFA dances are notoriously wild and crazy. There is a high population of gay and lesbian students so everyone dances with everyone. The place resembles a crazy free-for-all with loud outrageous music, strobe lights and disco balls, kids in wacky get-ups, and teachers hiding and cringing in the corners.

Annabelle explained her reluctance to go to the "normal" dance. "Mom! At those dances if you get too close to your dance partner the teacher runs over and pulls you apart. She puts her arms between the two of you and says, 'Make room for Jesus!'"

Now I know what Alabama is like, but I wasn't convinced a public school would go this far. She claims it is so, but she is 14 and is an expert at dramatic exaggeration. The amazing thing is, I've lived in Bama long enough that I wouldn't be one bit surprised if it was true. And I love it. That's why I moved here. There is room for Jesus and crazy gay dancers and gullible Moms like me.

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