I recently moved back to my hometown after 20 years, and it seems to have sparked some wonderful memories of growing up here. I am amazed at how things look different and yet how some things remain frozen in time. While driving to my folks I was on the street of my childhood home and found myself picturing all the kids on the street as if it were over 25 years ago. The street hockey games going on and even the BMX bike trick riding…as I approached the block before mom and dad’s place I felt an adrenaline rush as I passed by what used to be the local candy store. Most famously known as Gus’s store (by the time I turned 11 years old the name changed to B.J’s)….. or also known as Kenny Howlings’ house…(awe my heart flushes with excitement with the thought of old Hot Lips Hockey Hair Howling)
My obsession started in grade 7, each day my mother gave me 25cents to buy juice at school, but I would stop at the candy store every morning to buy my stash of mojo’s and the twin packs of jawbreakers. On one morning in particular I happened to see a boy wearing a yellow and black striped baseball hat, he looked up and I saw the most beautiful brown eyes…that was it; he had me at the look….I was so nervous I quickly left the store. After that morning it became my mission to attend the store each and every day…. (oh god I was such a looooooser!) for an entire year he never made anything but small talk with me. Until grade 8…… my friend Kathy had met a boy named Brad from the same elementary school that Ken attended, and low and behold he was Kens best friend.. JACKPOT!!!!!! March break 1984……March 17th ….not that I remember or anything… anyways…I spent the entire day at Kathy’s home preparing for the big night that Brad and Ken would come to my house. (oh did I mention my folks would be out for the night, bad catholic girls)
Since I was not allowed to wear jeans or makeup, Kathy hooked me up. ‘Fancy ASS’ jeans, they were skin tight painted on blue jeans, you remember the kind of tight that required you to lay down on the bed to do up the button while using a coat hanger to pull up the zipper?...the shirt was a striped wing top, the wrist to waist fake wing style shirt, and matching huge earrings. She and our mutual friend Karen did my makeup. For the first time I wore black eyeliner, mascara, foundation and red lipstick…hahahah a complete cake face! I felt like a million bucks! Hahahah I even remember going to Big V Drugstore that day and buying a product called “SUN IN” to spray into my hair to make it blond….
Once my folks left for the night, Kathy and I went to my house and within seconds called Brad and Ken to come over. Shortly after their arrival we made a frozen pizza and began to watch a movie on HBO, the movie box rental machine…the movie was Kramer vs. Kramer. After about 20 minutes Brad and Kathy decided to go listen to my ghetto blaster in the back rec room. (I can still remember the jeans he wore, the hockey jersey SHORELINE HOCKEY #16 and the smell of his Avon Cologne hahahahahaha…..)Here I was alone on the couch with the boy I had been obsessing about for over a year…sweaty palms, heart racing…he turned to me and said “Should we kiss or something”….kiss? I had never worn jeans makeup or even been alone with a boy! Kiss? I didn’t know how to. I just stared at him, don’t worry I eventually said what every love sicken girls says …. “with or without tongue?” jeeeezzz I didn’t even know what the difference was but Kathy told me to say that!!!!
At 8:17 pm..Thursday night of March Break; March 17th 1984 I had my first incredibly awkward wet, slobbery vacuum sucking kiss. It was awful, but the most memorable kiss to date. .The first kiss. The best kiss. The kiss I wish I could relive over and over again. Not that I am saying it should be with him, but the first kiss, not the …..”I’ve known you for 20 years kiss”…the I can’t wait for my lips to touch your lips kiss…..oh just forget it!
It is hard to not think of that night when I see the house that used to be his store. Fond memories from our past are hard to not think of especially when it was such a good and memorable time. The rest of the Hot Lips Howling story isn’t so great, but he kept me running for that kiss for 4 years after that! hahahahaha
Cheers to First Kisses With or Without Tongue
~Christine~ 
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