For me, my first real memorable lip-pressing kiss with a girl came in the fifth grade (Remember I had a history of experience, but not yet called "Mushy!"). I had probably just turned eleven years old and was in “puppy love” with the prettiest girl in my class. I cannot say I remember her face, but I do remember 
her dark hair and eyes and her olive skin. That is all there is except that when I think of her I see a stripped pullover shirt and she is leaned up against the back of her parent’s red and black trailer on a warm and fall evening – mouth pressed against mine and trying to learn to breathe while kissing a boy!
This 1957 photo is of my one-year-old brother and me in front of our trailer, which was parked right next to hers.
I have a lot of memories from this trailer park on Dickerson Road near the Shwab Elementary School (which is now PK-4 only) in Nashville, Tennessee. I remember the trailer park property adjoined the school property. Kids could walk right through a fence onto the school playground, and I often flew my kites there. I once let out a kite on 5 or 6 balls of twine, and fought the heavy tug of the wind for almost an hour before it broke loose and floated out of sight toward the city.
The other thing I remember about the trailer park was that there were wrestlers and musicians (show people) that I often saw on our little black and white television who lived there. It was nothing in those early days, as they fought their way to the top, to see big-bellied golden haired wrestlers, or cowboy booted musicians doing their laundry in the bathhouse!
One of my best buds in the fifth grade was the son of country music notable Uncle Josh Graves. Uncle Josh made the Dobro® famous with many bluegrass groups, but especially with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs when they were on TV in Nashville in those days. A DVD is available about “The King of the Dobro” that you might enjoy.
Anyway, Josh Jr. and I have not talked since*, but he did live in a trailer near my girlfriend and we may have been rivals – too far back to remember. It would be something if he ended up married to her! Maybe they will read this and invite me over.
The kiss? Well, I only remember I liked it and I continue to perform the risky act to this day. I do remember the awkwardness of it, and that only got worse as the high school years came along. I guess what I miss about those first few kisses was the anticipation of it, the sweaty anxiousness of it, and the almost climactic release the warm wetness of it surrounded in young innocent breath brings.
It is memories like this that will sustain me when I am locked inside a body that can no longer communicate with the outside world. It will be that little hint of a satisfied smile at the corners of my drooling mouth.
her dark hair and eyes and her olive skin. That is all there is except that when I think of her I see a stripped pullover shirt and she is leaned up against the back of her parent’s red and black trailer on a warm and fall evening – mouth pressed against mine and trying to learn to breathe while kissing a boy!This 1957 photo is of my one-year-old brother and me in front of our trailer, which was parked right next to hers.
I have a lot of memories from this trailer park on Dickerson Road near the Shwab Elementary School (which is now PK-4 only) in Nashville, Tennessee. I remember the trailer park property adjoined the school property. Kids could walk right through a fence onto the school playground, and I often flew my kites there. I once let out a kite on 5 or 6 balls of twine, and fought the heavy tug of the wind for almost an hour before it broke loose and floated out of sight toward the city.
The other thing I remember about the trailer park was that there were wrestlers and musicians (show people) that I often saw on our little black and white television who lived there. It was nothing in those early days, as they fought their way to the top, to see big-bellied golden haired wrestlers, or cowboy booted musicians doing their laundry in the bathhouse!
One of my best buds in the fifth grade was the son of country music notable Uncle Josh Graves. Uncle Josh made the Dobro® famous with many bluegrass groups, but especially with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs when they were on TV in Nashville in those days. A DVD is available about “The King of the Dobro” that you might enjoy.
Anyway, Josh Jr. and I have not talked since*, but he did live in a trailer near my girlfriend and we may have been rivals – too far back to remember. It would be something if he ended up married to her! Maybe they will read this and invite me over.
The kiss? Well, I only remember I liked it and I continue to perform the risky act to this day. I do remember the awkwardness of it, and that only got worse as the high school years came along. I guess what I miss about those first few kisses was the anticipation of it, the sweaty anxiousness of it, and the almost climactic release the warm wetness of it surrounded in young innocent breath brings.
It is memories like this that will sustain me when I am locked inside a body that can no longer communicate with the outside world. It will be that little hint of a satisfied smile at the corners of my drooling mouth.
*UPDATE: Today I got a reply to an email I sent to Josh Jr, or Sonny Graves, as he's known by some. He vaguely remembers some of the events of this post, but neither of us can say for sure. I only remember him because of his dad's fame. However, he does remember there being several girls in the park!
He said in part:
Hey Mushy,
Thanks very much for the memories, I do remember some of the people at the trailer park. Looking at your pictures I think remember you. I do remember all of the wrestlers and musicians there also. I remember several guys there but mostly the girls. I remember Jimmy Cooper,Jimmy Self, and I guy who worked at the store his name was Tommy and I think his last name was Smith.
I do remember several girls there, two Sisters who lived on the row next to the School, Shelia and Robin Norris, and Jimmy's Sister Betty Self, I think I was after Betty one time and Robin and I thought we were going together, heck I think I even liked Robin's sister...........................LOL
I have seen one or two people since those great days, Lynn Rossie the wrestler he has a Nature Food store or something like that, Also his son who used to wrestle, Also years ago the Fargo Brothers.
I like yourself think about those days how things were compared to today. I also remember playing ball one day behind the school and I was pitching and the guy batting hit a foul and went back over the back stop and broke a window out of a trailer. We all ran different directions except the batter. We all did come back and I think we all chipped in and help pay for the window..............lol
I thank you for remembering me. I also have two web sites if you would like to view them.......
http://www.joshgravesjr.com and my music web site on Myspace http://www.myspace.com/joshgravesjr.
Your Friend
Josh Graves Jr. AKA Sonny Graves
Josh Graves Jr. AKA Sonny Graves
12 comments:
Oh...my first kiss... I remember mine very well and I get such a smile on my face.
I was in elementary, age doesn't come to mind, just a time frame. And the boy lived two houses down, he was italian and his name was Joey. Gorgeous eyes, brown hair... it was on the side of his house, where my we couldn't be seen by families. I was so taken by him. He was younger than I, something about younger men,even to this day. Never could figure that one out.
The memories that you have brought back Mushy... LOL!!! Drooling mouth and all!!! you do that all the time. I love it.
Thank you for the smile.
Man, there's another awesome hairdo. You were Punk before Punk was Punk, if ya know what I mean. We've got pictures of my dad and uncles with that very same cut back at the same time. How the hell did barbers make a living? It couldn't have taken 30 seconds to cut it.
I have memories of stuff like that from that same age range. God knows where those chicks are now? Mine was a bit more kinky, being the late 60s and all. We'll talk.
Anyway, I did the same thing with a kite back some time in the mid 70s. Spooled out about 2 or 3 rolls of kite string, thinkin' I could get it up there and tangle it in a 747 or somethin'. My buds and I had much more fun though putting razor blades on the wings and fighting one another, seeing who could cut the others string or cripple the others kites somehow. Fun times. Another in a series of great posts.
Yeap, I do remember mine too. I must admit though I was a late bloomer. I did however had a great childhood so it wasn't too bad to start late. The haircut you had I thought was made popular by my son but I see now that evey fashion comes back, doesn't it? I keep telling my kids to do things right now so that when their memories pop up later in life the draw a smile.
Thanks for the memories.
What a nice post, Mushy! I remember my first kiss. It was at the roller rink and it was in the late 70's. A boy and I were double skating, he was skating backwards and I was holding onto his shoulders and skating forward. Not only did I have my first kiss, but I had to do it without falling on my face. ;)
I've said it once, I'll say it again...trailer people=good people!
My first kiss was while playing spin the bottle at the neighbor's house. I wanted to kiss Roger B but the spin landed on some smart ass kid I didn't like, but I sucked it up--no pun intended--and took one for the team...LOL!
Ah, yes! That first kiss! But to get to that first kiss, I had to go an extra step---My first SHAVE! My, my, how dad's "new double-edge Gillette" took that peach-fuzz right off! But, I sure smelled like a man, in between the nicks! But that just made that first kiss feel even better! How come it was only fun to shave,and/or kiss for only the first few times.....?
How sweet.
Actually you know my brother and I were talking about Lester and Earl just the other day. How funny you would mention them.
Grrrrr, why won't my comments work over here???
ANYWAY if this is a double post then sorry, but I've had trouble here with comments but,,,,as I said in a previous one ,,,, I remember well my first kiss AND growing up in a trailer in a trailer park (not in Nashville, tho). My first boyfriend gave me my first kiss at the tender age of 12 and I thought I was in love forever,,,HA!!! He was a good kisser, even at that age, and set the bar pretty high for boys that came along later.
Wonderful memories you all have...you need to post more on the subject...all the sweaty details!
I'm sure your wife also appreciates you taking the "risk." :) My first kiss was when I was eight. Yeah, I started way too young.
love the old photo, by the way :)
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