When I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade,

[MineralMan]

Last edited Wed Apr 25, 2018, 03:53 PM - Edit history (1)

a girl in my class, who was a year older, six inches taller, and already well into puberty, said to me, one time when we were walking together after school, "Do you want to kiss me? You can, you know."

She was a school friend who happened to be a girl. We both played clarinet in the band. Now, I was a skinny little kid, completely unconscious of anything sexual, really. But, I was already aware that those strange girl creatures were going to have an impact on my life. I could see. I had parents who were obviously in love with each other. I saw teenagers walking hand in hand as couples and sometimes kissing each other.

So, I kissed her. Awkwardly. Bashfully. Unsure of why I should even want to do that. And she kissed me back. And that was that. I'm sure we both blushed and were uncertain what the next step might be, but we did make contact. Then, we went about our regular school business and remained friends.

I do remember thinking, "What was that all about?" It was kind of nice, I guessed, but a little odd, in a way. I didn't think about it much, though, really. It was just something that happened one day after school.

We never connected again in later years. We never dated each other. We were still friends, though. I didn't see her for over 50 years after I moved away after graduating from school in the same town. I ran into her at our class's 50th reunion. She came over to me and reminded me of that day in 6th grade. We both had a laugh about it, and hugged each other.

Childhood is where we learn to get along with people. It's where we learn how to interact with people. If we don't learn then, it's likely we will have problems learning later, I think. Some people never learn. Some men who never learn end up being misogynists who drive vans up on a sidewalk and kill people because they never learned.

I'm not sure what to do about that.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Be thankful you are not one of them

[MineralMan]

2. Oh, I'm very thankful.

I had a perfectly normal childhood and grew up to have many good, interesting relationships with girls and women. All of this just made me remember that afternoon when I was 11. I guess things got started off right.

[Aristus]

3. In third grade, I had all the girls to myself because all the guys were still "Girls! Ick!"

I was in a love triangle with Sandra, the good girl, and Sheri, the bad girl.

One day after school, Sheri kissed me on the cheek. I just about fainted.

The things we remember...

[MineralMan]

4. LOL! You got an earlier start than I did.

[Aristus]

5. Oh, I found out pretty early on that boys were different from girls.

And I liked the differences.

I was a year younger than most of my classmates. I don't know whether that was an asset or a liability in the 'getting-to-know-you' stakes.

[lunatica]

6. Most people dont have personality disorders

Lots of people who didn’t have normal or happy childhoods don’t kill others. Most of them probably. And visa versa.

I think environment (nurture) has a huge impact on personality but it doesn’t create personality disorders or mental illness, and it certainly doesn’t create Malignant Narcissism. Although maybe one day much that is now lumped into mental illness will be found to have been caused by the environment at the fetal stage of development. The study of DNA, Stem Cells, and medicine is and will find a way to fix a defect or cure it.

[MineralMan]

7. Yes, of course. A few, however, do.

I don't know if a preventive treatment will ever be found. Not in my lifetime, anyhow.

[left-of-center2012]

8. "in the sixth grade"

I took a girl to the church picnic.

Once there, we boys played baseball and ate hot dogs.
I don't know what the girls did.

[Laffy Kat]

9. Sweet story, MM.

Thanks for sharing. Made my day a little nicer.

[MineralMan]

11. Remembering made my day nicer, too.

Thanks.

[lostnfound]

10. I LOVE this post.

Once again your musings hit on beautiful chords.

[MineralMan]

12. Thanks so much!