The vast and ominous building loomed overhead. I stepped into the shadows, heart pounding, breath racing. On the other side of the door, my worst nightmare waited: the mall. The time had come to find a prom dress.

Some girls count down the days to prom dress shopping, while others put the event off in fear of the inevitable. Some girls probably could not care less about prom dresses and treat the tedious task of finding one as they would any other day of shopping. I, however, have no experience with apathy, and I was terrified.

Full disclaimer: death by dress shopping is highly improbable. Dresses are unlikely to cause injury or pain. I was far less concerned about physical dangers as I was about the emotional side. As surprising as the fact may seem, not all girls are confident in a dress. Some people would prefer to see something slightly different in the mirror, a preference I have often had when trying on clothes.

The story of how I found my prom dress is not entertaining in the slightest. I tried on four or five, found one I liked and bought it. The dress did not glow, the angel choir did not chime in when I pulled it from the rack, and though I looked in every direction, I did not see a fairy godmother. The dress did not demonstrate any special capabilities beyond fitting me nicely, but I was not particularly disappointed. I was glad to get it over with.

The true miracle of my prom dress shopping was not a Cinderella-style change of appearance, but a change of heart. Walking into the mall that day, I represented everything negative about pop culture. I was not confident I would find a dress, and if I did, I was not confident it would look good on me. However, my real confidence issue was not in any dress, but in myself. Like all too many girls I know, I walked into the mall that day wishing I could somehow be different than I was. I got my wish, but not in the way I expected.

As I took a last look in the mirror wearing the dress I had finally decided was the one, no special feeling came over me. But the feeling did come. It came when I looked away from the mirror at the line of girls in dresses staring into mirrors. Each girl looked inexpressibly beautiful in her prom dress, not because of any physical feature, but because of the radiance of excitement and joy evident in her smile. And I may not have been able to find a magical dress, but I do know how to smile.

Maybe some girls experience a special sensation when they find the perfect dress for the perfect night, but some girls do not. To those girls: prom dress shopping changed the way I saw myself in the mirror and the way I see the high school experience. Go try on dresses and have a great time doing it. Dresses purchased in high school will eventually fade, never to be worn again, but memories last a lifetime.