First Date

I just sent out a friend request on Facebook to a lady who was my very first girlfriend. I was living in the Georgia Pacific company town of Samoa, CA and she was living in Fairhaven, a town just down highway 255 at the end of the Samoa Peninsula. The Pacific Ocean lay to the west, Humboldt Bay and Eureka, CA to the east and Arcata, CA to the north. The year was 1971 and we were in 6th grade together at Peninsula Grade School. Her father owned a lime green 71 Dodge Charger. Very cool! Her name was Sandra and she had long blond hair that surrounded the face of an angel.

Our first "date", you inquire with all requisite eagerness? I took her to a movie. My mother drove us to the theatre and picked us up when the movie was over. Everything was very romantic as you would expect. I didn't even know what romance was. I included all of the ruffles and flourishes a 6th grader could afford. I didn't know one ruffle from a flourish and I had all of about $0.75 in my pocket which was probable given to me by my father as I was leaving the house. What movie did we see? Why, what else, "The Night of the Living Dead".

I don't remember much about the movie. I spent a lot of time trying to get the nerve to put my arm around her and when I finally did, I spent a lot of time chastising myself for not doing so earlier because she felt so nice. She was soft and warm and her perfume was intoxicating. I think I bought us popcorn and sodas, maybe even went all out and got us a box of Milk Duds. I really don't remember, I was too busy drinking in all of her essence. I never wanted this time to end.

In the subsequent days we spent a lot of time just walking together while holding hands. Her hands were soooo soft and she could bring me to my knees with just the slightest squeeze of her fingers.

I never looked at girls the same. Thanks Sandra.