My Very First "Date"

Okay, I was only 8 and clueless, but we did go to a movie together.

"Chad" (not his real name, to protect the innocent, not that we were anything but innocent at the time) and I knew each other since we were babies. Our mother's were good friends and for several years we lived on the same street. Thus, we played together often and got along well.

Looking back, I think Chad had a bit of a grade-school crush on me, but I was oblivious to that at the time. Anyway, one day he asked if I wanted to go to a movie with him. I said, "Sure," in pretty much the same way as if one of my girlfriends had asked me.

Well, I mentioned this to my mother and next thing I knew, on the day of the movie my mother had me wear a dress! Now, in those days girls had to wear dresses to school, but outside of school I wore jeans, peddlepushers or shorts, depending on the weather. But, I was a girl who did as my mother said, even though I was thinking, "Dress? Why a dress?" When I was ready, she handed my a tiny red purse with a little hankie in it, and I think maybe a dime for whatever. I had no idea what the purse, hankie or dime were for (well, maybe I used the dime to buy candy), but Chad and his mother arrived and off we went, I toting the itsy-bitsy purse and still wondering why I needed it.

Our big date was to see the movie "To Hell and Back." Now, if I'd been 15 instead of 8, maybe I would have been unpleasantly surprised at the choice of movies. But I was thrilled! Wow, all that action, and I was not too young to appreciate that Audie Murphy was good looking in the most sweet and innocent way.

I remember the movie, but not much else. The movie was great! I still enjoy it when I see it in re-runs. But that was it for dating Chad. The next time we got together we hunted for turtle eggs in the woods in back of his house.

We remained friends and when we were 16 went on a triple date, and my date was the guy who is now my husband, and it was our first date. Yes, I married my high-school sweetheart. :) 

Years later I still hear from Chad every once in a great while. Our date didn't lead to anything more than an extended friendship, but even after all this time it has remained a treasured memory.