Monday, August 29, 2011

They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful

passport1 aged20

This old passport photo of me, taken when I was around 21 years old, recently fell out of a box and the boys found it. I remember absolutely hating this photo when it was taken; I think we all hate our passport photos, don't we? But now I look at it and think gosh, look at that sweet young thing with her fresh dewy face. (From memory this was taken in England for a visa into what was then known as Czechoslovakia. I'm wearing my travelling clothes - I still own that raincoat but I wouldn't wear it anywhere fancy - and my eye make-up is smudged. The person I was travelling with was the moody English boyfriend and it turns out we were not very compatible backpacking companions; the relationship never really recovered from our tour of Europe, although it limped on for a while afterwards. But I think I always knew that I didn't want to have children with him, he just wasn't steady enough.) Fixit told me later that when the boys found the photo Cherub said it was cute and Climber said no wonder she had a couple of boyfriends. Bless them.

And in other old boyfriend news, my first, my very first boyfriend is now my friend on facebook. Not that we ever had a recognizable boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. Just at the end of Grade 6 he said will you go with me? and I said, shyly, yes. That's what we called it back then, going with someone. You didn't actually go anywhere, but it meant you were official. Despite this official status however, nothing ever happened after the Question and Answer. We just carried on as normal, me with my friends, him with his, and probably only mixing it up for a game of handball (what my kids call foursquare). We were only 11 after all. Then it was the summer holidays and afterwards we started high school. I guess I felt a bit secure starting high school because I had a boyfriend, that is until I got friendly with a girl called Tanya Chambers who pointed him out across the playground and told me she was going with him. I remember quite clearly stalking up to him and saying next time you drop me don't forget to let me know! in haughty tones, while his jaw went slack in consternation; it was clear he'd completely forgotten that we'd been going together. Fair enough really, we hadn't seen each other since primary school finished. I don't think I ever thought badly of him about this, maybe because he had the grace to look embarrassed. I'm pretty sure his friends were keeled over laughing though. Ironically, he was also the first boy I kissed, but only because 4 years later he played Frank Butler to my Annie Oakley in our Year 10 production of Annie Get Your Gun. Gosh, fancy having your first kiss in front of all those people! I do remember how excruciating it was the first time we had to do it at rehearsal. I think we both approached it, and every subsequent smooch, with an air of let's get this over with, shall we. So romantic. And now we're friends again, and I'm actually pretty happy about that. He seems a good person.

they say that falling..wonderful

Meanwhile nobody ever asked me to Go With them again. I remained boyfriendless until I was in Year 12 [6th Form], when out of the blue, the boy that my friend Michelle had invited to her birthday party because she fancied him put the moves on me instead. Imagine my surprise, boys always liked Michelle best. It caused a little bit of tension between Michelle and me, actually, although thankfully not for very long. Anyway, the system had clearly changed in the six years between my two first boyfriends. Nobody said will you go with me? any more. Apparently the conventional courting method in Years 11 & 12 was to initiate some sort of physical contact, a hand on the knee say, and if your hand was not slapped away, you were on. At least after high school, they asked you for your phone number.

10 comments:

  1. Look at you, kiddo! Looking at those pics, I'm with your boys.

    (So thrilled to finally have it confirmed that it was perfectly fine to 'go' with someone while actually going nowhere - and then entirely ignore the person you were supposed to be going nowhere with. A load off my mind).

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  2. Haha, you summed up "going with" very well! I remember those days, and it was very serious, you never had much to do with them, but you were exclusive and you'd better remember it!

    You look SO MUCH like Climber in that last photo!!!

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  3. 'Going' with someone and then being 'dropped' brings back sooooo many high school memories.
    I often wonder why we never liked our photos from our younger days. If only we'd realised and made the most of being young and beautiful!

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  4. He he! What a cute post! My husband of 16 years & I have been together nearly 20 years & I still laugh about the fact he asked me "if I would like to go out with him?) I was 19, and had never actually been asked that question before - first boyfriend was when I was about 15, so - it was more the physical contact thing from then on too! I assumed my now hubby, wanted to go to the movies, or something, but it slowly dawned on me after the alcohol fog cleared that it was meant as more than that! I said to my best girlfriend "I think I have a boyfriend!" And I did! Ahh - youg love! Siobhan/Shivi1

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  5. What a great post!

    That pasport photo is absolutely gorgeous. I can't imagine hating one like that - you need to see some of the shockers I had.

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  6. gosh, that's given me goosebumps.

    How lovely life is - even if it all feels a bit strange at the time.

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  7. Your eyes are quite mesmerising in that passport photo. Beautiful shot!

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  8. You look like a model in that passport pic! Oh my. I got the girl's their passport photos the other day. Lily's is an absolute shocker and she's gonna hate me in the future....but not my fault - she was crying beyond belief and carrying on like a right pork chop - lucky she got one at all.

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  9. Oh the joys of FB eh?

    I too have recently found my first real steady boyfriend through FB, and (gasp) he accepted my friend request! My sister was VERY quick to comment on the blast from the past.

    I have also found my last boyfriend and another 'foreign affair'. Does that make me a hussy?Each looks pretty much as I expected after all these years (I was age 14-17, age 18-20, and 20). I'm told that I am still recognisable.

    Nice passport pic Stomper - I've had some shockers that I will NOT be sharing with the world, rest assured.

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  10. Gorgeous! Cutest post ever, Stomper.

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