Ahhhh....those good ol' memories

Recently I found a group of bloggers who happen to be friends in high school. It seems most of the group is part of the high school band. Boy does that bring back some memories. My hubby and I met because we were both band geeks. Technically I was an "auxillary" geek which is much higher up on the totem pole of geekness. I guess it doesn't much matter. You're all pretty much lumped into the same category by the stuck up popular kids. Anyways, we met my freshman year, he was a junior. He started out with writing me a note to see if I wanted to ride next to him on the bus to the halloween party. This note came as quite a shock to me as I was always the shy, awkward one in my group of friends who never (and I mean NEVER) was brave enough to even talk to a guy, let alone do anything of any sort of romantic nature with. So of course the bus ride was very awkward. We spoke only a handful of words to each other the whole time, sitting in the front seat of the bus right behind the driver. Get this, the driver is his MOM!!!!! She drove bus from right out of high school until the day she died at age 55. Very neat lady but I unfortunately did not have time to get to know her or vice versa as she died 6 months before we got married. Sorry for the sidetrack. So our first "encounter" as you might call it was quite interesting, embarrassing, and I guess rather boring (which would be not very interesting at all, I guess). Sometime after that we decided to go together. That term has always entertained me. So just where is it that you are going and how long will you be there? Our supposed boyfriend/girlfriend interlude went on for about a total of 1-2 weeks. We spoke very little to each other the whole time. It did include a few trips to lunch at the local Jack in the Box with his group of friends, a lot of time spent in the band room which is not where my friends and I ever hung out, and a band trip to a competition. The band trip was the highlight since we sat together on the way home when all the lights get turned out. We sat cuddled underneath my fuzzy red, white, and blue blanket (which I still have how many years later...19?) and kinda sorta kissed. O.K. not really. He tried to and I was so scared because I was very naive, that I sort of turned away and he got my cheek mostly. So he technically was not my first kiss, but oh well. (at least he was my first "you know what", but I'll get to that later) I eventually realized that I was feeling isolated from my typical group of friends that I hung out with so I basically started to avoid him. This was not very well thought through on my part because I ended up making him feel rejected and I'm sure he was trying to figure out what was wrong with him. It was not him at all. I just didn't want to be stuck in the band room on every freaking break between classes. I will never, NEVER forget the look in his eyes the day he finally caught up with me at my locker. Instead of telling him the truth, I basically just brushed him off. I rushed off to health class (not hearing a thing the teacher said) and had that vision of his puppy dog eyes in my brain the whole time. It was a combonation of hurt, questioning, rejection that still to this day unnerves me when I see it. I really hate that look. It bores itself deep down into my soul.

We continued to both be in band, he playing trombone and I in the flags, banners, dance. Our band went to Austraila in 1988 the summer after he graduated. It was one of those trips of a lifetime. We had spent over and year and a half fundraising for this 2 week trip. You name it we sold it. Cow patty party, lucky duck river race, gambling calendars, see's candy, etc. Hubby and I did not really co-mingle at all his remaining years in high school. We were always within arms reach (figuratively) of each other. We experienced much of the same things throughout those years but on different levels with different immediate groups of friends. The next few years for me were spent watching my friends dabble with romantic interludes. Some of them a little too close for comfort if you ask me. The only other person I ever "went out with" other than my hubby was someone I hardly even knew. He was my best friend's boyfriend's best friend. So basically I was set up on a blind date. He was exotic, dark skin, dark curly flowing hair, Brazillian. I always have had a thing for guys like that. Funny that I ended up with a white, red-head. Anyhow.....my parents go out of town and leave my sister and I home alone. Sister goes out with her boyfriend so my best friend and I invite her boyfriend and his bf over. We've never met but hey I'm getting desperate at this point. I'm 15 yo and have never been kissed. Sounds like a movie don't it? They brought over a few wine coolers (cheerleader beer as hubby calls em) and we had ourselves a mini party. My bf and her boyfriend went into my parent's bedroom just to fool around (I know because I was kinda there when she lost her virginity, next car over parked at the dam). Marcio and I (don't you love that name...so exotic and yummy) stayed in the living room. We slowed danced in the dark for a while to some really good 80's music and I finally had my official first kiss. We eventually made it to the couch where he proceeded to fondle more than I was probably prepared for at the time, but like I said, I was desperate. Not too much longer we hear my sis and her boyfriend pull up in the driveway. On go the lights, party is over. We tried to straighten our clothes as good as possible but I'm sure we looked very obvious. Flipped the t.v. on and pretended we had been sitting there for hours. I have no idea what was on the tube since we had like 2 channels that came in. I introduced Marcio to my sis. I don't know if she ever said anything to my parents or not. Was quite fun though. That my friends is my only romantic interlude with anyone besides my hubby. So yes, I have only actually "been" with one person. I always wonder what it would be like with someone else. I am not complaining one bit of course. Nothing wrong in that department of our marriage. It is always something that I can fantasize about though, right? More on that later.