Thursday, September 4, 2008

By The Numbers: Back To School Edition

This week’s over-hyped and underwhelming premiere of The CW’s 90210 remake got me feeling nostalgic for more than just the original Peach Pit gang. I found myself thinking about high school, about those heady days when dating was a new frontier delivering equal parts excitement and insecurity.

With a nod to Brenda, Kelly and co, then, I bring you a special high school edition of By The Numbers…

Number of friends whose boyfriend I had a crush on: 1
Number of years in longest preamble to first kiss with a high school crush: 4
Number of parties that included a game of spin the bottle: 1
Number of would-be suitors who engaged in creepy behavior (e.g., calling from a pay phone across the street, mentioning the view into my bedroom window): 1
Number of boyfriends permitted to join me on my bed for a chaste embrace: 2
Number of times said encounters were interrupted by my dad opening my bedroom door: 1
Number of men vying for my attention at the prom: 2


It’s hard to believe the longings and lessons of adolescence happened two decades ago. Though the stakes of dating are higher now, I’m happy to say that I’ve managed to hold onto (most of) the hopefulness I had about romance during my high school days. And I’m still amazed at the delirious high that accompanies the simple pleasure of a first kiss. Who needs to be a teenager to feel young?

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