Thanks to those of you who visit my blog on a regular basis... I'm proud of the fact that I'm one month in and sticking to it. Just by giving myself the freedom to write as much or as little as I want to (just so long as I do it every day) has been incredibly fulfilling. I especially appreciate those of you who have taken time out to email me to let me know your thoughts. This has been an evolving project and I look forward to seeing where it all leads (in addition to the entry titled "12/31/11").
Now.....
It's time to go back... how far back? WAY BACK... as we go a little sumthin' like this... HIT IT!!!
I'm not 100% sure as to what age I was when I had my first "crush" or rather a girl I shared a connection with. It was either first or second grade... so we're talking 1976ish... it was Encino, CA ... the Sherman Oaks Galleria had yet to exist... these were the PTA days of the Valley - where Boogie Nights and Magnolia lived. This is a very innocent tale mind you - one that simply shares a moment when a little boy felt a connection to a little girl... her name was Donna. That was her real name. I was a student at Lanai Road Elementary School and all seemed right with the world. My parents had yet to be divorced and my social life seem to be chugging along (a far cry from the years of bullying and being picked on when I got moved out to the Malibu). My best friend at the time was Mitchell Tobias. What made him my best friend? Simple, he introduced me to the band KISS. While many may argue the artistic merit of such a group, they were my Led Zepplin, they were my Pink Floyd. They were the group that my parents weren't listening to (although to their credit they did take me to see them in concert... a 7 year-old at a KISS concert... amazing!). I remember Mitchell reciting the lyrics to "Deuce" as we walked around the school playground and we would go to his house and pretend we were KISS (I should stop there since KISS is worthy of its own entry).
So, there I was... in elementary school... I was small/cute, which I think girls liked (I was sort of a little brother type). Now I can't recall if Donna was connected to both of these memories, so I will separate them... but Donna is the focus of this one. The only other "girl" situation I recall during these years was a girl (it may have been Donna as well) who would chase me every morning on the school playground... tackle me... and then proceed to kiss me (on the cheek I believe)... as I said, not sure if that was Donna too.
Other than that, I have but one memory of Donna... but it sticks with me, which tells me it was important. As I said, it was either 1st or 2nd grade and the classroom was your typical elementary school classroom - pictures of the Presidents on the wall - the alphabet above the chalkboard. I distinctly remember a record player and a vinyl copy of a Brady Bunch album which had the iconic "Sunshine Day" on it -- I can even recall the album cover being a hand drawn Revolver-esque version of the Brady Kids with some psychedelia thrown in for good measure... I think. And then there was Donna... and this is what I remember (it's going to sound silly but it stays with me). Regardless of where we sat in the classroom, there came a point during the day where we would congregate at a different table and we would work on a puzzle. And that was it. Every time we would find a piece that would fit one of us would exclaim "By George I think you've got it!" - it was a silly/fun moment that made me feel good... I believe the line is from Pygmalion... Anyway, I just remember loving this time with this girl (as innocent as it was). I had a connection and was sharing a moment with someone outside of my family. Sorry if it lacks in the romance department, but that memory stays with me even now. Somewhere around that time my parents divorced and I was moved away to Malibu, which became a whole different thing. I remember missing Donna... as I got older I would wonder whatever happened to her... not constantly mind you, but every so often the question would appear. Who knows, maybe she wasn't real to begin with. Maybe I had such an active imagination that I invented this person sitting next to me ... My own Tyler Durden if you will.
Time to go...
The Year Of Loving Dangerously
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