Your First ‘Real’ Kiss
September 17th 2007 02:27
It’s amazing – that as part of life’s book ends – we all seem to have roughly similar pages earmarked in our memories.
First day at school, first job, first car and so on.
It was with some trepidation then – whilst traversing the environs of the harbour foreshore that almost subconsciously my eyes were drawn away from the vivid hues of the evening sky and the lapping of the wake against the sea wall to spy someone I hadn’t seen in over 30 years – someone indelibly etched on my mind as the girl with whom I shared my first ‘real’ kiss.
Caught somewhere between that uneasy void of ‘should I’ or ‘shouldn’t I’ – or worse still – do they remember or don’t they – I summons the courage to ever so casually ‘bump into my past’ as if through fate.
Serendipitous – perhaps, given that only a few weeks before – the same topic came up over dinner with friends.
So with evening broadsheet under one arm and laptop occupying the other – I made what was no doubt an obvious beeline my intended target as she sat waiting to catch the ferry and in the process enjoying the warmth of an early spring afternoon.
“Oh sorry . . . . (insert here appropriate pause) . . . . Amanda . . . . . . Amanda (insert name here) – fancy bumping into you?
Now I admit that over the course of 30 years – we all change – some for the better – some . . . . . well . . . . .but in essence I think I’ve held up well enough to be recognised – which made the next 2 minutes of my life a mish mash of emotions.
“Excuse me.”
“Amanda (insert name here)”.
“Yes”.
“Mister Nice Guy – from School of Hard Knocks – how are you?”
“I’m well, how are you?”
“Well.
“What have you been up too.”
That’s when it didn’t so much occur to me as jump out and bit my on my proverbial – that the much vaunted “Amanda” had in fact – little or no recollection of me.
Polite – sure – but only a vague reminiscence of that fateful night in my life.
We bode each other farewell – and I continued on my journey (if slightly deflated) as she went about the business of fumbling through her handbag looking for her ferry ticket and simply getting on with life in the here and now.
That night I made my way home on the train musing over what had just happened.
A little devastated that my first real kiss had delivered such an emotionally telling blow – after all these years – it occurred to me that perhaps (just perhaps) – as far as Amanda’s life book was concerned – I was possibly the second (or third) man to have climbed that teenage Everest.
Sure it was chapter in my life I’ll never forget – but (with apologies to whats-her-name that I kissed next) who remembers the third man to walk on the moon?
First day at school, first job, first car and so on.
It was with some trepidation then – whilst traversing the environs of the harbour foreshore that almost subconsciously my eyes were drawn away from the vivid hues of the evening sky and the lapping of the wake against the sea wall to spy someone I hadn’t seen in over 30 years – someone indelibly etched on my mind as the girl with whom I shared my first ‘real’ kiss.
Caught somewhere between that uneasy void of ‘should I’ or ‘shouldn’t I’ – or worse still – do they remember or don’t they – I summons the courage to ever so casually ‘bump into my past’ as if through fate.
Serendipitous – perhaps, given that only a few weeks before – the same topic came up over dinner with friends.
So with evening broadsheet under one arm and laptop occupying the other – I made what was no doubt an obvious beeline my intended target as she sat waiting to catch the ferry and in the process enjoying the warmth of an early spring afternoon.
“Oh sorry . . . . (insert here appropriate pause) . . . . Amanda . . . . . . Amanda (insert name here) – fancy bumping into you?
Now I admit that over the course of 30 years – we all change – some for the better – some . . . . . well . . . . .but in essence I think I’ve held up well enough to be recognised – which made the next 2 minutes of my life a mish mash of emotions.
“Excuse me.”
“Amanda (insert name here)”.
“Yes”.
“Mister Nice Guy – from School of Hard Knocks – how are you?”
“I’m well, how are you?”
“Well.
“What have you been up too.”
That’s when it didn’t so much occur to me as jump out and bit my on my proverbial – that the much vaunted “Amanda” had in fact – little or no recollection of me.
Polite – sure – but only a vague reminiscence of that fateful night in my life.
We bode each other farewell – and I continued on my journey (if slightly deflated) as she went about the business of fumbling through her handbag looking for her ferry ticket and simply getting on with life in the here and now.
That night I made my way home on the train musing over what had just happened.
A little devastated that my first real kiss had delivered such an emotionally telling blow – after all these years – it occurred to me that perhaps (just perhaps) – as far as Amanda’s life book was concerned – I was possibly the second (or third) man to have climbed that teenage Everest.
Sure it was chapter in my life I’ll never forget – but (with apologies to whats-her-name that I kissed next) who remembers the third man to walk on the moon?
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Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
Comment by Chic Critique
I'm sure you've "help up well enough to be recognised" MNG.....maybe she was hiding her embarrassment behind her casual "I'm too important to remember you" facade.....don't you just hate it when people do that?!
I'll never forget my first kiss....because it was utterly putrid.
Poor thing....I think it was his too!
Cheers
CC
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
Thanks guys.
Life's cruel sometimes.
MNG
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Oh my friend your post is very touching. Relationships no matter when they they begin or end can be difficult at best! The kiss...... hmmmmmm
Mis
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
You're soooo right.
MNG