Towards the tail end of October, The Writer’s Circle posted a photo on Facebook that contained a 30-Day Writing Challenge. I liked the questions and I liked the idea of sharing a little bit more information about me (as opposed to my strange Internet reading habits), I decided to join in! If you’re participating – go ahead and leave a comment with your links below!
- Your first love and first kiss; if separate, discuss both
Ugh. Can I just take a pass on this one? I’m talking about the first love part, not the first kiss. My first kiss wasn’t that bad – that counts for both of them, the first grade snow bank snuggles and then making out with one of my brother’s friends behind one of the buildings at my county’s fairgrounds.
So there you go on the first kisses. They were both sweet.
My first love? Eh, not so much. I’m not much of a late bloomer (he-llo, first kiss was in first grade … go me!), but I was pretty late to the game when it came to acquiring my first official boyfriend. I was in my mid-20s and was working as a reporter in Wisconsin when one of my co-workers offered to set me up with a friend of his. We met, we dated, we nearly got engaged, we crashed and burned … and that was in less than six months.
While it took me a little bit to recover from the whiplash I got from that emotional experience, I moved on. And to be honest – karma has been good to me. My husband is gorgeous, he’s my best friend (and not in the sappy “oh I married my best friend” sense. I did marry my best friend … one of my college drinking buddies.). Even more attractive – we split much of the housework and he’s a better parent than I am. Insane bonus round? We made really gorgeous, intelligent children. And although there are certain facets of my twenties that I would GLADLY skip, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without that really craptacular dating experience from when I was in Wisconsin.
As I’ve pondered this writing prompt, I had another realization: When I think about my “first love,” I don’t think of my ex very often. I actually think more about some of the guys that I grew up with and knew in high school – some of those old crushes I had. Unrequited love (or lust) is a real bitch, but I’ve adored and I’ve befriended some incredible guys over the years. I think of those guys and I think about how they treated chunky, awkward, teenage me … honestly – I knew some exceptional guys who grew up to be pretty decent men. And other than the toads I’ve encountered on this journey, I feel pretty lucky to have had my heart temporarily abducted by some of these men. It’s all a part of how amazing and nuanced my world has been.
michellekubitz 