It was 1956 and I was a Pine Plains High School freshman. I was, fortunately, the two-year younger brother to a sister, Carol, who was popular and protective of me at the same time.
Carol might have been a bit bossy but her influence commanded my respect. She was on the Junior Prom committee and convinced me to take a date. It was hard to say no, but this was a scary area for me. She wanted to know whom I might ask and the hypothetical best answer was Judy Schaehrer. Judy was the prettiest, smartest, nicest girl in our class and we had been classmates since kindergarten.
After school each day, Carol would want to know if I had asked her yet. “No, not yet,” I’d say. Carol insisted on a deadline and I amazed myself by coming up with the best solution.
I wrote a note, merely saying: “Would you like to go to the prom?” I folded it and when we shared that afternoon’s math class together, I would simply put it on her desk at the end of class and take off. All went according to plan and as the next class was over, we met in the hall. She said, “Yes!”
The next step was getting ready for the date. Carol was in charge of the corsage and I was going to wear my new suit, purchased at G. Fox & Company in Hartford, Conn. at Christmastime. Shoes polished, check-check-check, and Dad tying my tie and I’m ready to go.
Carol’s date drives in and we are off to Judy’s house on the new development on Birch Drive. With corsage I hand, I knock on the door. Her younger sister Barbara opens it and her mom and dad, who are both teachers, are there. Mr. Schaehrer teaches Vo-Ag (shop) and Mrs. Schaehrer teaches second grade, I think. They are all smiles.
Judy looks fantastic and is wearing her wonderful smile. Her mom pins on the corsage and we are off. I was a bit numb and feeling overwhelmed, but it was a good numb. One leg in front of the other…
We get to the school and the prom takes place in the Gym, but it no longer looks like the Gym. The lights are very low and streamers and balloons are hanging everywhere. Quite magical.
I’m feeling much more comfortable knowing so many people there and I, fortunately, had taken two years of Linda Hermans’ mother’s dance lessons. I could fox trot, waltz and Cha-Cha. I’m certain Judy must have carried the conversation and did I mention that wonderful smile.
In the hall there were cookies and punch and it all went by amazingly fast. We were driven to Judy’s home and I walked her to the door a much more confident young man.
Lifelong Pine Plains resident Barry Chase is a retired dairy farmer who attended Colgate University, served in the Peace Corps and did graduate studies at Montana State University before marrying Rosemary Lyons 52 years ago. They have three adult children: Farley, Rory and Sarah.
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