26 Years

Once upon a time, a million years ago, the Scout Master and I were in high school.  He was a sophomore and I was a SENIOR.  I had never seen him before in my life (probably because he was a sophomore and I was a SENIOR) until we both ended up in the same choir together.  I'm pretty sure I noticed him right away because he had the most beautiful, flaming red hair I had ever seen!

Seriously!  Look at that hair!  And those super short shorts and those acid washed jeans and the moon boots and tell me that isn't the most irresistible 16 year old boy you've ever seen!


From August to October of 1986, I worked on getting him to notice me.  I moved to the end of the alto section because it happened to be right next to the bass section where he sat.  I made friends with all of his friends.  I smiled every time he walked passed me.  I thought it was working and he was interested.  By the time the Homecoming football game rolled around, I was pretty sure he was going to ask me to go to the dance with him.  But...

...he didn't...

So...when another guy asked me, I said yes and went with him instead.

You might think that's where the story ends...but it doesn't.

I went to Homecoming with the super nice guy in that picture, but I didn't really want to be there with him.  His name was Jim.  We were friends.  He was great...polite, smart, interesting.  But he wasn't the boy I really wanted to be at that dance with.  I was preoccupied most of the night.  UNTIL...that sneaky red headed boy just happened to show up at the very same dance...alone!  

Poor Jim.  I am ashamed to admit how blatantly obvious I was about dancing with the red headed boy and flitting around to be close to wherever he was.  I knew he had come to that dance to see me and I wasn't going to do the right thing and stick with my date.  Oh, the selfishness of a 16-year-old girl!  I spent most of the evening with the red headed boy and although I'm sure Jim felt differently, I thought it was the BEST dance I had ever been to.  

That red headed boy asked me to every dance after that...until I graduated the following May.

Valentine's Dance

Prom (ok, I had to ask him to this one because he wasn't a SENIOR!)

Christmas Dance

It's been 26 years since that Homecoming Dance on October 18, 1986.  I'm so glad I was able to convince that 16 year old boy to look in my direction.  And I'm so glad we've added so many memories to that very first one.