Middle School anyone????

Does anyone out there remember middle school. I do as if it were yesterday. I remember my first kiss, (which was weirdly at church camp!! Scary thought!) I remember akward dances, popular girls, knee high socks and 'walking' shorts. I am so thankful I'm past that, and would never, ever want to go back there. Now, I am just physically having a hard time believing I have a middle school child. He just cannot possibly be that old. But he is. Well, tonight he crossed over a right of passage that all middle schoolers have to at some point in time or another. He went to his first dance. There have already been several he's been invited to that I would not let him go to. (Yes, I'm almost always the mean mom that won't let her kid do anything...but in this world, I don't really see that I have a choice.) And frankly, this dance was a big no-no for quite awhile. I was NOT comfortable with it, and my decision to let him go was made against every rational thought I had in my body. I just tell him no so many times, I thought if I didn't let him do something, I would suffocate him, and he would rebel. (Any other psycho-analyzing parents out there?) As any other good suffocating mother would do, I stayed 30 minutes into the dance, and got there 30 minutes early to pick him up. That left only technically 1 hour that I couldn't supervise. There were plenty of parents there, and the kids are really fairly good. In the final 30 minutes of the dance, (that last part that I was there to watch), Chandler slow danced with his new little 'girlfriend' twice. At first I had to walk out of the room. I really freaked out!! And what freaked me out more was that NONE of the other parents were freaking out. They were just laughing and having a ball, while I wanted to sob, and scream, stop!!! It really was very innocent, classic junior high slow dance. Arms stretched as far as they'll go, and most of the girl's were taller than the guys....typical stuff. And it would have been sweet too, if they were just a year or two or three older. I just wonder if they are doing this now at 12, what is out there for 15? We are pushing our kids into adulthood WAY too soon. Of course, this is all my humble opinion, and you are free to disagree if you'd like. And this one little dance certainly isn't the end of the world. He had a ball, and all of his friends did as well. But, oh the memories it brought back. I can't possibly be that old can I?????