My First Kiss

Today's LBC topic comes to us from our buddy Delerious - currently on an extended stay in China.

I've joked in the past about my shyness but I assure you it is true.  Since discovering today's topic I have wracked my brain trying to recall that momentous event. To the best of my recollection, it was in the summer between my junior and senior year in high school. 

I can hear the guys laughing already.  Yep - I was a slow starter.

There was a girl - Eileen - that I always thought was really cute but she was my sorta best friends girlfriend. 

 Nelson and I were on the football team. Well Nelson secured a summer job along with my pal Dave in Yosemite  - one of the most spectacularly beautiful places on the planet. Remind me to tell you how a large portion of Yosemite was stolen from a very good friend of mine's family - imminent domain truly sucks.

In typical guy fashion Nelson asked me to "take care" of Eileen in his absence. He gave his blessing to my dating her - he was no dummy, realized how shy I was and so figured I was safe.

So - long story short - Eileen and I started going out. She kissed me on the first date (gotta love aggressive Catholic girls). It was as good as I'd imagined. We actually had a lot of fun that summer and she kinda brought me out of my shell. Our last date that summer was a big one -  a day in SF including lunch at Fisherman's Wharf  Grotto No. 9 - always my fave place to eat on the Wharf  - followed by a concert at Candlestick Park by 4 guys known as The Beatles. Yep - the historically astute among you will recognize the date 8/29/1966 as the fabs very last concert.  You can hear the audio on Youtube if that interests you.

Now 8/29/1966 was also the first day of double-session practice at Mt Eden - the start of footbal season. I was penciled in as a 2-way starter. When I showed up for practice the next AM I found myself listed as 4th string on the depth chart.  Coach Frederick  was gonna show me I couldn't flaunt his rules.  Ahem. Next day I was 3rd team, day after 2nd and by the 4th day I was again the starter. Along the way I beat the snot outta the guys that were placeholders - LOL. Once the mission was accomplished I became my pleasant self again - friend to all the underclassmen on the team.

Since Nelson was back my long hot summer with Eileen came to an end. All in all it was well worth the demotion as I genuinely enjoyed myself and it prepared me for the next step - dating someone that actually really cared for me - a cute blond named Lyn (no - not that one!) that I'd met on a double date - our Junior Prom

- to be exact the previous year.  Lyn and I hit it off and actually had more fun with each other than with our dates.  She had a rapier-like wit and we traded barbs and laughed all evening.  That's Lyn and her date Rich.

Eileen did do a really nice thing for me - she threw me a surprise 17th birthday party a month or so after our Beatles date. And our song?? The very prophetic Cherish by the Association.   I'd love to say we are still friends but I haven't seen or spoken to her since 1978.  We did have a somewhat humorous "reunion" of sorts when her step daughter dated my step brother - a link she was unaware of and that Brian (step brother) and I had some fun with.  Lyn on the other hand still emails occasionally and updates me on her happily married life in Oregon.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip through my back pages....

That's my tale of my first kiss.  Check out what the other LBCers have to say.