It’s Never Too Late For Now: 80-Year-Old Man Wears His First Tuxedo, Goes To His First Prom

Last night I was falling asleep watching old ’30 Rock’ episodes when Season 5, Episode 15’s ‘It’s Never Too Late For Now’ came on my Netflix. Then this afternoon I read this uplifting story of an 80-year-old grandfather wearing his very first tuxedo and going to his first prom. Is it a mere coincidence, or was James “Poppa” Drain also stumbling through old ’30 Rock’ episodes when he realized ‘It’s Never Too Late For now’?

CBS affiliate WIAT-TV was first to the story:

ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — Prom is a special right of passage, in which high schoolers get a chance to dress up, and dance the night away. One north Alabama student had a very special date to her prom, a guy who has been there her entire life.

Joy Webb went to her first prom ever and who better for her date than her 80 year old grandfather, “Poppa”.

James “poppa” Drain never went to prom growing up, and Joy wanted to share the experience with her Poppa, a man who brings nothing but happiness to her family.

It was his first tuxedo, their first prom, and a carriage that would make Cinderella jealous.

“My family is everything to me, and I like love him so much, and it’s just like really special to me because I know not many people get to do that,” Webb said. “I know he loves me and I love him, and it’s just really really neat and special.”

Just as Frank Rossitano and Pete Hornberger formed the band ‘Sound Mound’ to bring the world songs such as ‘It’s Never Too Late For Now‘ and ‘Weekend Woman’, so too did ‘Poppa’ suit up in a tuxedo and check off some necessary items from his bucket list.

1.) Every guy should go to prom. More specifically, every guy should go to prom PARTIES.

2.) Every guy should know the feel of a tuxedo on his body. The feel of a nice tuxedo ranks right up there with the finest pleasures life has to offer (sex, steak, sleep, etc.).

So I’d like to extend my warmest set of congratulations to ‘Poppa’ from Alabama on seizing the opportunity to live his life, and not just dwindle away in the Winter of his days on Earth. We should all take inspiration from ‘Poppa’ and get out there today and check some stuff off of our collective bucket lists.