A Gentleman Never Panics

Before The Athlete actually attended his first Cotillion last week I am not sure I knew exactly what to expect.  I was so pleasantly surprised and let me just say that a large group of third and fourth grade kids learning how to appropriately interact with each other is OVER THE TOP DARLING.

Gentlemen are required to wear dark suits, a white dress shirt and a tie.  Young ladies must wear a dress and white gloves.  They gather once a month and and learn how make polite conversation, dance with a partner and the necessary ettiquette of a formal meal.  This month's session focused on the Cha Cha and sharing refreshments with your partner.

60 Second Cha Cha Video

Following the dancing, the Host and Hostess showed the ladies how to fold their gloves and give them to their partner to hold while enjoying refreshments.  I panicked on behalf of my boy, because I knew that the tailor had taken so much material out of his suit that he no longer had functioning pockets.  The Host, being a gentleman as well. said to the boys --

"and what do you do if you're wearing a brand new suit and your pockets are sewn shut?  That's OK.  A gentleman never panics and should not look like he is going to cry because he doesn't have his coat pocket available to hold his partner's gloves.  It is perfectly OK to take her gloves and put them inside your coat."

It was a really nice thing for him to say, but this bit of advice also wasn't going to help my son.  His pants had so much material removed from them that the pockets are sewn into the seam  now. There wasn't anything I could do to help him so I continued to watch and love every minute of it.

He seemed to make it out of his first event unscathed and delighted to have been part of it.  He couldn't stop talking about how much fun he had and he practiced ALL of the manners he learned . . . it was truly the sweetest thing.  He didn't even mention that he danced with girls twice his size.  I am pretty sure he was loving it so much he didn't even notice.

Later that night I asked him what he did with his partner's gloves.

"Mom, a Gentleman never panics.  I just put them in my back pocket."

Well, maybe I need the lesson in social graces more than he does.  Dance on handsome.  I'm just as excited about next month as you are.