First Kiss

A few months ago, someone started a thread on the widow/er board about their first "new life" kiss. Several others responded with their experiences; a couple of members (aka "the morality police") complained about people not keeping anything sacred and revealing too much information on the message boards (insert eye roll). I remember thinking at the time that when that day came for me, James would have been gone for at least two years and while I am not normally one to kiss and tell, after that amount of time, the entire world was going to know I got a little action.

I have wondered about how my first "new life" kiss would go down. Would it be an awkward one at the end of a first date? Would it follow a playful moment while goofing off with a male friend with whom there is an attraction? (Note to self: this would be more likely if there was a male friend with whom there is an attraction in the picture). Would it be after I have had a few dates with a guy? Would it be in a parking lot in the rain (I do live in the NW, after all)? Yeah, I have given this some thought. And yes, I have imagined kissing guys I know in these various scenarios.

My first kiss ever was when I was 12. He was a classmate of mine who lived down the street-and who apparently used to climb up on our porch roof to watch me sleep. (That was creepy then too). He was the classmate I was going to marry in the 3rd grade until the school principal found out my class was planning a mass wedding and put a stop to it. He was my boyfriend at various times in the 4th through 6th grades, though he did two-time me in the 4th grade. The kiss was in my backyard and was a very quick one that it turns out was witnessed by my brother. I was sitting on "Big Bertha," my hand-me-down three speed bike with the really thick seat. After that I was convinced he was going to want to do more and I broke up with him.

My first "French kiss" was the night of Senior Skip Day. After going to my first period class, I skipped the rest of the day and went to Silverwood with two of my male classmates. Most of our class spent the night camped out in the parking lot of the school-a school tradition. I ended up in a van with one of the guys I went to Silverwood with and ended up making out with him. When he tried to kiss me again a bit later, I again thought he was going to want to do more and pretended I was asleep.

My freshman year of college, I was kissed for the first time on the dance floor. It was my sorority pledge dance. My date was from the AKL fraternity. The song was "Crazy for You," by Madonna. We were in the town of Troy and made out all the way back to Moscow. That song still brings a smile to my face. I wonder what happened to him?

My first kiss with James was on a cold night in January 2000. Looking at a calendar, it would have been the 7th and our 3rd date. Our first date was 12/31/99 and he thought it would be too cliche to kiss me at midnight so he gave me a hug instead as we watched fireworks from the balcony of the apartment we were at. Our second date was 8 hours after the first one ended when we went and saw "Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo." We talked a couple of times during the week and decided to hang out on Friday night. Wondering if-and hoping-he would kiss me, I spent all day Friday applying lip balm so my lips would be nice and soft.

At the end of the night he walked me to my car. I had a 1993 Toyota Tercel at the time. It was so cold out and I started the car to warm it up while we said good-bye. He had told me that his friend had told him if he didn't kiss me soon I was going to end up as just another friend and asked if that was what he wanted. He didn't, so after giving me a couple of hugs, he kissed me goodnight. Let's just say when we finished kissing, my car was plenty warm! I miss kissing him. I miss how he would take a break from playing his games to go and get a Pepsi or a snack and give me quick kiss on the way to the kitchen as I worked on whatever crafty thing I was doing. I miss how he would trap me in the kitchen and give me kiss after kiss until I couldn't help but laugh. And I miss the last kiss of the day followed by "good night Honeybunch." As I sit here now and listen to what should have been the recessional song at our wedding-"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer-I am grateful I have such a clear memory of our first kiss and hope that time does not take that away from me.

As for my first "new life" kiss, well, I hope that happens while I am still young enough to remember it!