In 1974, February 2 was Saturday

My diary tells me, I spent the day at a high school wrestling meet. From one of the opposing teams, there was a black guy, I'll call V. I wrote he was UG-A-LY!

Well, truth be known, V probably was a young Denzel Washington and a real good lookin' kid, but it wouldn't have mattered. During that time, he and I were probably the only two black kids in the filled auditorium. Remember, I was the only black student in my class, on top of the being half of the entire black student population in grades 9-12. Translation: out of 650 kids, 648 of em were white.

I digress.

In 1974, and for years after, I was afraid I wasn't attractive to black guys. I didn't know any. So I didn't know if they thought I was pretty. Sure, my dad always said I was his prettiest girl--but ya know, he was my dad. As much as I loved my little Iowa hometown, it wasn't much of melting pot. Not even a crock pot. It's a bit better now, yet still predominately Caucasian.

Back in high school, I started a Kiss List. It's what you think it is. Any guy I kissed whether on the lips, his cheek or he kissed my cheek, they went on a list and were rated 1-10. No joke. By February 2, 1974 there were just a few names on all three lists. In fact, I kissed two classmates, that day on the cheek. One was a guy who later, much later--like 20 years later, apologized for calling me a nigger. Said he should haven't done that even if I was 'colored' because I never did anything to him. We shared a beer over that. Anyway, the List was started to see if any white guys would ever kiss me.

WOW. Looking back, I was outgoing, loved to laugh, knew everybody, and if I buckled down I could get very good grades. I didn't buckle down. I figure I lack some confidence in the male species department and that's why I started a Kiss List. I wonder if V the wrestler could have gone it?

Naw. I was too scared to even LOOK his way. I do remember that. The mouths of chums, from back in the day and even from this day, will crash the floor when they read that. "You? Lack of self confidence?"

And my Kiss List? I eventually kept tally of just one list: On the Lips (and of course that's another story). When I graduated in 1976, I had 96 different names. Mister #100 happened about a week later, out at our town's drive-in. I admit, years later, he remembered he was #100 better than I did. We even joked about it this past summer. I retired the List in October 1977, due to I felt I had to grow up. The final tally? 153. Still not sure I grew up THAT much tho. :)

Back on February 2, 1974, new stuff. Scary stuff. .Yet my diary says I had a good time that Saturday afternoon. I'm sure I did.

Hmm. I wonder where V is today? I have his full name written in my diary. My luck he's some brain surgeon with a home in the Hamptons. I'll have to Google him.

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