?FIRST LOVE?

First or second grade, hair growing back!

Pontchartrain beach with "me niece" Tiffy

4th or 5th grade

Third grade

I can look at these pictures today and see I really was a cute kid.

However I also must be honest when I say I just

wasn't "boyfriend" material in elementary school.

In the morning on my way to work I always listen

to Kidd Kraddick in the morning.

One day this week he is talking about first loves.

Not the kind in high school that both parties really

like each other and want to date.

No, he was talking about his very young days

when having a partner has nothing to do

with how you feel about the other,

more about just having one.

This brought a funny story of myself to mind:

I WAS IN 4TH GRADE AND SOMETIMES

WOULD ENVY THE PRETTY GIRLS,

THE ONES WHO THE BOYS ALWAYS WANTED

TO BE CLOSE TO, I WAS NOT THAT GIRL.

THERE WAS THIS ONE BOY WHO ALL THE

GIRLS SPOKE OF, JAMES SUMMERSGILL.

ONE DAY IN 4TH GRADE ONE OF THESE

PRETTY GIRLS HAD DECIDED SHE WOULD

NO LONGER WEAR JAMES RING, SHE WAS DONE

WITH HIM. SO HE ANNOUNCED TO THE WHOLE

CLASS THAT WHOEVER TRIED ON THIS RING

AND THE RING FIT, WOULD BE HIS GIRLFRIEND.

OH, MY MY HEART WAS POUNDING.

ALL I HAD TO DO WAS PUT THAT RING ON

IF IT FIT, JAMES WAS MINES.

I WAITED FOR MY TURN TO TRY ON THE RING.

FINALLY HE STOOD IN FRONT OF MY DESK

WITH HIS WHITE BLONDE CURLY HAIR

AND WAITED AS I SLID THE

BUBBLE GUM RING ON MY FINGER...

AND IT FIT, IT FIT PERFECTLY.

HE LOOKED AT ME I BELIEVE FOR THE FIRST TIME

AND SAID, "LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE MY GIRLFRIEND."

ALL DAY I WORE THAT RING MAKING SURE

NOT TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH

JAMES THE REST OF THE DAY,

MAKING SURE HE DID NOT SAY A WORD

TO ME SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEAK TO HIM.

I WORE "OUR RING' HOME THAT DAY.

I RAN TO MY UPSTAIRS ROOM

AND PUT INTO MY BROTHERS 8-TRACK PLAYER

MY FAVORITE 8-TRACK TAPE.

THE CARPENTERS

I LAID IN MY BED SO HAPPY TO HAVE

MY FIRST BOYFRIEND.

I HELD MY HAND UP THAT SPORTED THAT RING

AND SANG WITH KAREN CARPENTER:

"Why do birds suddenly appear,

everytime you are near,

just like me, they long to be, close to you..."

I SLEPT WITH THOUGHTS OF

MARRYING JAMES.

LILLY SUMMERSGILL...

THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO SCHOOL

AND JAMES WAS WAITING FOR ME.

AS I WALKED DOWN THE QUADRANGLE

MY HEART WAS BEATING OUT MY CHEST.

I WANTED A BOYFRIEND BUT I DIDN'T

WANT TO HAVE TO TALK TO HIM.

HE CAME UP TO ME AND, AND, AND...

ASKED FOR HIS RING BACK.

HE HAD ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND HE WANTED

TO GIVE IT TO.

I HANDED IT TO HIM SAYING

I WAS GOING TO GIVE IT BACK TODAY ANYWAY.

THAT WASN'T TRUE, BUT YOU KNOW,

COULDN'T LET HIM KNOW THAT RIGHT?

That is my story of my first love.

It is why still when I hear this

song this is the memory that makes me smile.

Hope it put a smile on your face.

Happy Thursday