1984: 40 Thoughts in 40 Days
Well, eventually it had to happen. Now that I'm a mother, I'm not particularly looking forward to seeing it happen with my daughter, but yes, it does happen in every girl's life.
That point when friendships become .... weird.
Boys become.... {sigh} cute.
And girls get....giddy...just because one walks by.
Ugh....boys.
Truth be told, I suppose my first "boyfriend" was back at that elementary level in "The Cooney School". To save him the humiliation, he will remain nameless here, but I recall being outside at recess on NUMEROUS occasions when a group of us would gather and pretend to get married...and it was always this one particular boy and I who would run off throughout the playground after the "minister" pronounced us man & wife.
But that was just kids' stuff. (Right?)
In 1984 I became much older and oh so much wiser...because after all, I was now in the 7th grade and for whatever reason, that was the year when everything became weird between boys and girls. Being in 7th grade also meant that at the end of the school year we would look forward to the much anticipated 7th and 8th Grade dance. It was a real dance, that was a real date (as much as having your parents drive you there could be), a real dress, with real corsages and having to pin on real boutonnieres.
This was a very big deal.
And it was going to involve {gasp} SLOW dancing! With a boy! (He wants to put his arms around me? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?)
As it turns out I was asked to the dance by the tallest boy in my grade. Not just by a matter of inches - I swear he was already 6 foot tall in 7th grade! Oh yes, did I mention that I was the shortest kid in my grade? It was awkward at best. And we just knew that everyone there was waiting for that first silly, slow romantic song to start playing at the dance because they all wanted to see how Candy was going to manage dancing with Keith.
As it turns out, we managed just fine thank you very much.
That point when friendships become .... weird.
Boys become.... {sigh} cute.
And girls get....giddy...just because one walks by.
Ugh....boys.
Truth be told, I suppose my first "boyfriend" was back at that elementary level in "The Cooney School". To save him the humiliation, he will remain nameless here, but I recall being outside at recess on NUMEROUS occasions when a group of us would gather and pretend to get married...and it was always this one particular boy and I who would run off throughout the playground after the "minister" pronounced us man & wife.
But that was just kids' stuff. (Right?)
In 1984 I became much older and oh so much wiser...because after all, I was now in the 7th grade and for whatever reason, that was the year when everything became weird between boys and girls. Being in 7th grade also meant that at the end of the school year we would look forward to the much anticipated 7th and 8th Grade dance. It was a real dance, that was a real date (as much as having your parents drive you there could be), a real dress, with real corsages and having to pin on real boutonnieres.
This was a very big deal.
And it was going to involve {gasp} SLOW dancing! With a boy! (He wants to put his arms around me? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?)
As it turns out I was asked to the dance by the tallest boy in my grade. Not just by a matter of inches - I swear he was already 6 foot tall in 7th grade! Oh yes, did I mention that I was the shortest kid in my grade? It was awkward at best. And we just knew that everyone there was waiting for that first silly, slow romantic song to start playing at the dance because they all wanted to see how Candy was going to manage dancing with Keith.
As it turns out, we managed just fine thank you very much.
Keith, thank you for being the perfect gentleman on that night, and for many years after while we were in school together. You still make me smile and laugh (even if you are a hockey fan), and I'm truly sorry that I bailed on what certainly would've been some memorable years together at Ohio Northern University.
If you'll please excuse me now, I'm going to go try to figure out how to keep my 7th grade son locked in his room. I'm not ready for him to want to go to a dance with a {gasp} girl!!
C.
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