A simpler kind of innocence

After a much-needed slumber, I finally emerged from my bed and saw my very own shadow. I believe that means we are going to have six more weeks of hurricane season hell. It's been an exhausting week of new bankers hours, improvisational comedy, acting workshops, and meetings. As I prepared to enjoy what's left of a weekend (and sadly my only day off) I reminiscently watched three 8-year old boys rolling down a hill and playfully repeating the act. Chuckling to myself, I remembered how wonderful it was being a kid. A time in our lives where the idea of getting "hurt" was actually sought after instead of avoided. I won't delve into the worry free portion of our younger days, but I will take on the inscrutable wonders of the "first kiss".

My first kiss was a bumbling display of show me yours and I'll show you mine. (We're talking frogs, here. Get your minds out of the gutters. I was 9-years old for crying out loud) The boy, who shall remain nameless, was a neighborhood friend. We were mostly bike riding partners, nothing more. One day, as we showed off our new frogs, my neighbor told me something I've never heard before in the nine years of existence on the planet. With a mouth full of bubblegum that'll put the gum collections underneath our middle school desks to shame, he said, "I want to give you a kiss". My reaction to his statement, "Ew". Persistent little bugger, he ended up planting a wet one when I wasn't looking. He ended up trying for another, and I finally gave in. Genuinely, it was awkward. And fun, too.

Does magic from the first kiss dissipate over the years? Granted, at age nine, it doesn't hold the same anticipation when you share that moment with someone 20 years later. Why talk about that first kiss you ask? Seems to me that it does carry over and starts fresh with every new pair of lips to come across yours. Not saying you have to reply "Ew" with every kiss, but maybe we should take on a similar, innocent mind set.

Naturally, every first kiss varies. I'm sure we all can remember kissing a Becky behind the bleachers during 7th period in Junior High, or playing tonsil hockey with a Tony, a sophomore jock after the Spring Fling Dance. In any case, there's always that rush, that eagerness to get closer, and sucking face like there's no tomorrow. When it comes to characterizing another person, kisses are similar to handshakes. Some say a firm handshake can dictate assertiveness and confidence. While sloppy kisses can mean a short lived pajama dance in bed.

You can find kissing someone for the first time has it's own bumbling moments. From getting caught, using too much or too little tongue, to missing your target altogether, it's bound to happen.

"Oh my god, is he leaving the Red Sox game on TV? Ugh."

"She better not get red lipstick on my new Ralph Lauren shirt."

"He's rounding 3rd base and I haven't sucked his tongue yet."

"I hope those were her lips I was sucking on and not her nostrils."

Through my hefty, scientific method of an investigation, (bar hopping in Adams Morgan, really) I've discovered that not all first kisses resemble scenes we see in movies. It's the same with lovemaking, but that's a whole other blog... As I observed the singles mingle and the couples jingle into foreplay, I realized that first kisses can leave lasting impressions.

Does a kiss give you indirect insight to who that person is? Is he a biter? Does she give good head? He must know the alphabet trick. She probably likes solving world hunger and creates world peace in her spare time...

What is the "magic" of the first kiss, then? Does it depend on the mood setting? The person? Great lighting? Two shots of Grand Marnier and a ride home, perhaps? It's been my experience that the magic lies in the moments before the kiss.

It's the moments prior to that elusive first kiss that create the moment. The invisible pulley that draws two people together without saying a single word. One time it was a quick glance that did it for me. Another time it was the alluring smell of cologne. Ah, those tender kisses behind my ears... Whatever it was, it drove me crazy for more than just that first kiss. It's the tangible idea of discovering another human being that really got me going. Not knowing (and not caring) what's going to happen next. Is that the magic of the first kiss, the fearless display of lust and love that gives it that lasting spell? Innocently enough, you slowly unravel the mystery of the person with each kiss.

From my first kiss to the last, the magic of the kiss will remain in the moment itself. Until we finally discover it's true meaning, the magic will remain secret in the kisses. And with one another.

The kiss you take is paid by that you give: The joy is mutual, and I'm still in debt.
--George Granville, Lord Landsdowne. Heroic Love (act V, sc. 1)

I dedicate this blog:

To my frog Napoleon: Who I never kissed, may you rest in peace, buddy.

To the little boys rolling down the hill earlier today: Cutest boys in the neighborhood. I'm sure you'll drive the girls insane. Watching you guys reminded me of a little boy I babysat. I remembered being his first kiss and "girlfriend". I do appreciate the blog idea about first kisses. Thanks!

*This idea brought on material for a skit I wrote on the back of an old receipt. I'll be sending that over to my fellow actors/writers for major brainstorming.* Read it bitches. Read it.

End scene.