First Kiss

I was just a child when I had my first kiss and so innocent. Many of us were they same way, a chaste kiss to the cheek or quick peck on the lips is usually the way a first kiss occurs. In the life of Jen, not so.

In the fourth grade I lived in the main City School District here. I was blissfully innocent in regard to boys. Oh sure they chased us and we played Charlie's Angels, but we never went beyond "oh Billy Joe is soooo cute!" By the fourth grade most of us were starting to wear training bras and a few girls had the all out snap in the back bra. We knew our bodies were changing but did not go beyond giggling about little girl things. I was still into the Muppets and Kermit the Frog at that point in my life.

Then we moved. My father switched from the EPA to Rockwell International and my parents felt it was time we moved to the suburbs and into a bigger home. The transition was difficult for me and it did not help that my mom decided this was the time to cut my hair ala Dorothy Hamill. Starting fifth grade and the first two weeks of school were hard. Hard is such an understatement for a pubescent ten year old girl. I was behind academically and, it became obvious to me, socially as well. These kids seemed to be light years beyond my knowledge about everything, music, boys, homework. I was finally befriended by Sonia and other girls came around to me once they learned I played softball.

One afternoon, during free time, five of us girls were sitting on the carpeted bean bag "cool" area. I was tragically unhip and was only beginning to understand what "cool" was. I was still new to all that was around me and to these girl's social circle. I remember Lisa distinctly stating "lets talk about the bases!" I was excited and thought "finally, something I know about, softball and baseball."