Sock Hops

I couldn’t wait to be old enough to enter fifth grade. This was the grade level in which admission to the Friday afternoon Sock Hop was granted. They were held immediately after school  in the gymnasium. They officially were known as Record Hops because a teacher seated on stage was tasked with playing 45 rpm records on a RCA record player. The typical trappings of this highly anticipated weekly event were a cardboard table for the music player and crape paper taped on the walls in school colors. The event was nicknamed “Sock Hop” because it was necessary to remove our shoes upon entry onto the gym’s wooden floors. This was, after all, Indiana and not so much as a scuff was allowed on the Basketball floor.

Upon entry, shoes were immediately removed and lined up on opposite sides of the room. Thus, the boys lined up on one side and the girls lined up on the other. These were days of Poodle Skirts for the girls and pegged pants for the guys.  Admission at our school began at 3:15 and the music began promptly at 3:30. Generally, things began very slowly. Mostly girls danced with girls and the boys leaned against the wall trying their best to look like James Dean. Then after about 5 songs the first “Ladies Choice” of the day was announced. This challenge allowed the girls to walk across the floor to pick the guy of their choice. He was then obligated to dance with her for the “slow song” that was playing. Many a boy began his association with high blood pressure while the girl of his choice was heading across that floor. By the time it was apparent he was going to be picked, his pulse was off the charts. Of course, being cool during the acceptance was paramount to the process. The cooler the girl was, the longer the acceptance took. It may have been  only the fifth grade but boys had playground reputations to uphold. It didn’t matter that most boys did not know how to dance, this was as close as most of them had ever been to a girl, except for their sister , which didn’t count. Most 45 rpm songs were about 3 minutes in duration, so after this involved process most dancing was virtually non-existent. From the guys viewpoint, this was a good day. You got singled out and you got to put your arm around the opposite sex. For the boys who got a little too close, one of the many teacher chaperones moved in to make sure there was daylight between the now smiling couple. Rarely did a guy venture in the opposite direction  to pick a girl for participation. However when he did, there were several others who followed suit so as not to be outdone.

All of this high octane activity came to a halt promptly at 5:00. Most of us had to be home to a  nightly family supper serving at 5:30 or 6:00. During the process of recovering our shoes we tried to keep an eye on the afore mentioned dance partner. If they were leaving alone that was a signal , if their parents weren’t waiting to pick them up, there was a chance to walk them home. If a guy scored a dance and a walk home all in the same day, sleep would not come easily that night.

As we got older and Sock Hops moved into the evening hours on Saturday nights, the traditions didn’t change much. The music was more sophisticated, the rooms were darker, the dances were more intimate, and the chaperones were less visible but the highlight of the night was still the “Ladies’ Choice”.  To watch that lovely creature come across the gymnasium floor and bestow upon you the honor of being picked as desirable in front of your peers, well it doesn’t get any better than that, no matter how long you live.