Guide to asking a girl to prom in a way that makes 'no' impossible

Think about what the man is saying. National Guard outfit from Small Town, USA goes off to fight for our country. They're basically all from the same 120-mile radius.

And I once lived in that kind of area -- the highest National Guard enlistment in the entire country. Hell, it was so much of a big deal, the newest high school in the area took the mascot of Volunteers, and this is in a state that REALLY hates Tennessee.

Nine times out of 10, I'm betting you that the person that wants to do the surprising only wants to see the expression of his/her child's face. They've never said, "Well, I'll sit around in this hotel and hide from my kid for a week if they paper/TV can't get there to cover it on Tuesday."

And if you've got a squad of people at least a half-dozen others are gonna think, well, I've got kids, too. I'm gonna do that for my kids, they say.

And that's where the deluge of organizers are contacting you, making you the Jane Fonda for not showing up. But maybe it is your patriotic duty at your two-man sports department to work on your day off and not turn in the overtime, because if you turn it in, you're going to get yelled at or worse. Or maybe you try to slip out at 7:30, while you're stuck putting out the paper and taking call ins from the other prep games in the area to cover it. And of course, they're going to do it at halftime, wait for the kid to come out of the lockerroom and surprise him at shoot around. Well, the Jr. High game went into overtime, and the girls game, well, it was a girls game and now it's 8:15 and they're just tipping off for the boys and you've got to have your pages out by 10:30, or, yep, you're going to get yelled at.

Just tell your M.E., I was late for my country.

Thankfully, though, I've never had to endure that. But I've been at a two-man shop under the constraints I listed and somebody is always pissed at you because you had to tell them no, because it's physically impossible. Or mad that when you did show up you don't have a camera or didn't bring a photographer.

Let everybody show up at the airport and wave flags and applaud. Get everybody taken care of at one time. We can handle that. Or a parade even. But six or seven of those things in a small span - because you have to do it quick, b/c once the first one does it everybody knows your home. Small papers can't do it. Physically can't do it.

Enlist news side to cover it? Sure, because they always pitch in on football Friday nights to pay us back for that election night work we do for them.

 

Just say, "Sorry, we have a paper we have to put out. Can you send us a photo, and the guy's number?"

If it's as common as you say it is, then also explain how there are so many of them and you can't get out to each one.

And next fall, acknowledge your work on Election Night and be sure to volunteer your new side coworkers to help you on Football Friday. Send an email out to them, telling them that they should be happy to, since they are all company men and company women.(cross thread)