"I Want to Make it With You"...

It's that time of year again. Time to break out those famous 'conversation hearts'. They bring back such romatic memories. When I was in the 3rd grade, I had a crush on David Gambles. He was tall and blond, with curly hair; the Greg Brady of I.T. Stoddard Elementary. I remember hoping with all the love in my heart that I would get a special word heart from him attached to my valentine on class party day. Something romantic like, "love you", or "my girl", or even, "be mine". I guess it wasn't meant to be. Not only did he not give me any candy with my card, but if I remember correctly, the card was something dumb like a gorilla eating a banana, or a dog wearing a bandana. The years pressed on. 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades passed without any indication that he liked me. Except for the fact that he pulled my braids, took my pencils in English, and ocassionally tried to push in front of me in the lunch line, I didn't think he even knew I was alive. UNTIL...Valentine's Day...8th Grade. I had a new red jumper to wear to the dance. I was looking fine. A bit nervous, having never actually stayed for a school dance, but hoping the prospects would be rewarded. At first it was awkward, all the inexperienced 7th and 8th graders standing around, watching the 9th graders and wishing we were just 'that cool'. My friends and I nervously giggled away our disappointment about not being asked to dance, but secretly hoping that one 'special guy' would look our way. We knew our eyes would meet across the crowded floor, our feet would float off of the ground, and we would be whisked away into the loveliness of that 'first' slow dance. Well, don't get your hopes up. It didn't happen for me that day. (*** see side note post at end.) Mostly David Gambles and Mike Haddock kept coming around, teasing us, and throwing those silly coversation hearts our way. It wasn't what I expected for my first Valentine's Dance, but it was fun in a pre-pubescent kind of way. I'll never forget the last song they played that day. It was "I Want to Make it With You" by Bread. (***see Playlist song #10) As we were leaving the gym to go home, a red-faced David Gambles walked up to me, grabbed my hand, put in a conversation heart, and sprinted off, Napolean Dynamite style. I opened my hand, only to find the sweetest heart ever...just two words, "Be Mine." (I saved it until I graduated from high school!) Short of riding me off into the sunset on a white honeymoon steed, no Valentine's Day could've been sweeter for an awkward 12 year old girl who was taller than all of the boys in school. Except of course, for David Gambles, my blond Greg Brady.

***my offical first 'slow' dance came later that year at the 'End of School' dance. David and I were 'way over' by then and I was more into a baseball player by the name of Jay Callahan. When our eyes met across the crowded floor, my feet floated off the ground as he whisked me into the loveliness of that magic moment. Elton John's "Your Song" (See Playlist song#11) provided the background. Perfection on a dance floor. That's what memories are made of.