Sunday, December 16, 2007

You never forget your first one

It's been nearly 30 years, but I still remember my first slow dance. We were at sleepaway camp, very young and very much in puppy love. His name was Freddy. I remember that we were exactly the same height. When we danced no one could easily put their head on the other one's shoulder so we danced cheek to cheek. To say danced is of course a gross overstatement, in actual fact we sort of stood still and gently swayed to the music, all the while sure that something this special had never happened to any other couple throughout the ages. Surely what we felt was more, was deeper, was stronger. How dare they say it was puppy love! We cared deeply about each other, the mere act of dancing together in public was a clear declaration of that, nevermind the magical first kiss we shared later that same night when we snuck down to the beach. It was a pure, innocent love, and we knew it was strong.

So strong in fact that it lasted a whole 2 weeks, and then my session at camp ended and I had to leave my true love behind. Sure we'd be together forever, ready to rush into each other's arms when we were reunited the next summer, I wrote him long, gushing letters the way only a preteen girl can, complete with smileys over the eyes and even S.W.A.K. - Sealed With A Kiss. Mere distance wouldn't stand in the face of true love.

Sadly, while distance may not have stood in the way of true love, teasing did. Freddy's friends had a field day with those letters, and his deep and undying love died an instantaneous and public death. By the following summer we couldn't even look each other in the eye.

I was sure I'd never love again and pined terribly for my lost dreams - for all of 2 days, until I met David. He won me over with his freckles and his funny Boston accent and showed me that kissing a boy with braces could be quite nice in fact. Best of all, when we danced - my head rested squarely on his shoulder. We fit together and all was right with my world. For the next few weeks anyway. Young love is nothing if not fickle...

Visit Sunday Scribblings to read more about The Dance.

18 comments:

awareness said...

my first dance was at summer camp too! first kiss too!

I hadn't thought about it in a long time.....your piece pulled that memory out of it's little bank. hmmmmmmmmm now I'm wondering whatever happened to my "first one"

Great post

paisley said...

what a luscious memory,, or two... young love......

Jo said...

I loved this......but boy did you start young. I didn't get my first kiss till I was eleven-some.

Robin said...

If I'm translating that right I was only a few months younger than that. Not that much earlier.

sandierpastures said...

First dance (memories) never die! :-)

Patois42 said...

I love how vividly you've described those dances, those boys, that love.

gautami tripathy said...

What memories, what dance, what a kiss!

LOL!

Dance of Life

Beau Brackish said...

Summer camp and S.W.A.K., the stuff of cherished adolescent memories.

My first dance was when I was four. It was at a second cousin's wedding, and the dance was with a third or fourth cousin. We danced for hours to bad disco, but their was no kissing cousin action. It was probably for the best.

Gene Bach said...

Dang, sounds like I missed a lot by not going to summer camp. LOL! Funny how quickly things change when you're young isn't it?

Tumblewords: said...

Summer camp, puppy love, young and fickle - oh, yes! Great memories!

susan said...

Enjoyed!The story is sweet but what impressed me most is your writing style. Thanks for the read.

Tammy Brierly said...

So sweet! Thank goodness for camp and resilience. :)

Lea said...

What a sweet memory... and oh how long those days or weeks could be... back then, a lifetime...

colleen said...

I know what you mean! Slow dancing was a socially accepted and safe way to get close to someone of the opposite sex. I still remember it vividly.

little wing writer said...

oh my... take me back ...naaahh, maybe not...thanks for sharing... swak...never ever heard that before

swirlingnotions said...

I so remember wanting so bad to dance with Max on Stairway to Heaven because it was such a long song (swooon), and doing the awkward swaying for the first three minutes or so. Then, just as I eased my arms around his neck, I saw my Dad peek his head into the gym and look right at me (turns out he'd had a board meeting down the hallway and thought he'd sneak a peek). I was mortified. I think it was two years before I slow danced again. :-) Thanks for the memory!

Anonymous said...

:) young love is fickle but those dances are definitely worth it...loved this dance post..thank you for sharing, Robin.

UL

Fourier Analyst said...

Ah young love... and the letters it inspires!