The Teen Years or Standing Along the Wall

Last night I watched a couple of teen movies.  One of the movies showed a line of boys standing along the wall at a school dance.  That brought back some memories and I tried to put myself in the place of one of those boys.  It wasn't difficult.  You see, I've been there... done that.  Those were some awkward times.
In the movie the camera panned along the line of guys and saw them doing a lot of the same goofy things we used to do in order to try not to look so out of place as we stood there against that wall... picking on each other, telling corny jokes, laughing at other guys trying to dance with the girls... you know the drill.  What these guys did not realize at the time is that they were going through one of the most important rites of passage in their life.  Think about it.
Did these guys get dressed up and come to the dance just to stand along that wall?  Heck no!  They came because they thought that there would be a chance that somehow, someway, there would be a chance that they would get to dance with a GIRL.  Only one small problem.  When it comes time to ask a girl to dance the guys all realize that they are nothing more than big goofy chickens.  There is terror coursing through the veins of each of these guys every time a really good dance song starts up and a real feeling of remorse as the reality sets in that this is going to be another opportunity wasted.  But... If I go and ask a girl to dance she might turn me down.  Then how would I face my buddies after the long walk back to the wall?  Better to just stay here and act cool.
Then it happens.  Your buddy standing next to you double-dog dares you to ask a certain girl to dance.  Oh no.  This isn't happening.  I can't let these guys know what a big chicken I really am.  Not after putting all of this effort into acting like Cool Hand Luke.  Ok, what the heck.  Maybe she'll say no and I'll escape all of the embarassment and then I'll be able to double-dog dare HIM to ask a girl to dance.
Here I go... walking toward her and OH NO... she sees me coming.  Is she going to take off running to the Girls Room?  Wow, that would sure bail me out, wouldn't it?  No, she's just standing there smiling.  OK... here goes nothing.  "I don't guess you would want to dance, would you?"  What?  Did she just say yes?  She has my hand and is leading me out on to the dance floor.  Oh well, I'll just go with the flow.  It will only be a couple of minutes anyway.
Hey, she's a pretty good dancer.  And she's not too bad looking either.  Maybe this isn't so bad after all.  Maybe she'll go for a slow dance after this.  We'll see.  After all, it gets kind of boring standing along that wall all night.  Surely it can't be any worse than that.
Little does that young man know, but he has just gone around one of the largest turns in the Road of Life.  His life will never be the same again.  Little does he know it but from now on his conversations will be filled with the names of girls, along with fast cars and football of course.  And when he gets a car he will spend hours cruising around town with his favorite girl, or else he will be looking for one.  A girl, that is.  Yes, his life has changed forever.
Those were the good old days.