| Somewhere around the summer between my
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| | spelling of some word or to double check
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| 5th and 6ths grade years at EV Cain
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| | on our homework assignment. We knew girls
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| Elementary School a girl named Rhonda
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| | were different, but we didn't give much
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| moved from Grass Valley to Auburn, and
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| | thought to how they differed, except that
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| there was something about her that
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| | they threw a baseball funny and used two
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| fascinated me. I saw her sometimes during
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| | hands to shoot a basketball (even a lay
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| the summer, going to the show with other
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| | up!), and they ran "like girls".Except
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| girls, or shopping downtown with her
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| | Linda Polameri.She threw a ball the right
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| Mother. She was intriguing to me for some
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| | way, ran like a boy, and nobody would
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| reason. I can't think of that reason now,
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| | have bet against her in a fair fight. The
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| but I wanted to meet her, or to do
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| | reason I know that is because she once
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| something, anything, so she would notice
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| | got very angry with me in class after I
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| me. Once I saw her at the town park up by
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| | beat her in a class election, and
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| the Recreation Field, and since I was a
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| | challenged me to a fight afterward.
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| fast runner in those days, I thought I
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| | (Election of class officers was held
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| might show her how swift I was, and
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| | twice a year, as I recall, and students
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| thereby impress her with my speed. I had
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| | pretty much voted by sex; the girls voted
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| just seen a Superman movie, and was
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| | for whatever girl was running, and the
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| impressed with the whole idea of speed,
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| | boys voted for whatever boy was running.
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| and thought she might be too. She was
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| | The only reason I ran was because no
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| sitting on the lawn with a couple other
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| | other boy wanted to run.) By last period,
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| girls I knew, and I wished that they
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| | the entire class had heard about the
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| would go away so I could impress her
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| | fight, taken sides, and some were even
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| without them saying something like
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| | making bets. I guess what bothered me the
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| "that's only Duane," or some other dumb
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| | most was that even the boys who were
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| thing girls said back in those days.I
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| | rooting for me in the fight were betting
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| waited for probably a half-hour or more
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| | against me. Even my best friend, Jack
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| for my opportunity. Her friends didn't
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| | Stephens, who was as small as I was, only
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| budge. But I spotted a beagle running
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| | plumper, had bet his entire Friday's
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| lickity-split in her general direction,
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| | lunch money against me.Fortunately for
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| and I thought, "if she sees me running
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| | me, Mr. Ryan got wind of the fight, too,
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| faster than that dog, she'll really be
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| | and appeared after school behind the
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| impressed with me!" So I took out at an
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| | Quonset hut; the very spot previously
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| angle, until I was about parallel with
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| | appointed for the fight. When the other
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| the dog, and we zoomed side by side
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| | kids saw him, they retreated awkwardly,
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| within a few feet of the girls and on to
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| | and made their way toward the playground
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| wherever the dog was headed. Before I got
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| | and on home. Linda seemed disappointed
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| out of earshot I heard her ask "who is
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| | that the scheduled fight had been
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| the dumb kid with the cute dog?" My heart
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| | cancelled, but left with the others, not
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| sank, but my feet ran on. The dog seemed
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| | wanting to get in trouble with Mr. Ryan,
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| to know where he was going, but I didn't
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| | a fair but tough teacher who had been a
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| and within seconds I found myself sliding
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| | career officer in the Marines before he
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| on my back across a freshly watered
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| | became a teacher. When everyone was gone,
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| section of lawn. As I slid to a stop, the
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| | I crawled out from under the Quonset hut
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| dog turned back, gave me a curious look,
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| | where I had been hiding, and skipped
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| and licked my face as if to say, "Are you
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| | home, celebrating my reprieve.Luckily,
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| OK?" I couldn't bear looking back to see
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| | Linda didn't hold a grudge, and the next
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| if Rhonda was watching, but I heard the
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| | day at school she asked me if I wanted to
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| girls giggling, so I was sure she saw the
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| | shake and make up.I did.So we did.And
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| entire show.Later that same summer I was
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| | that was the inauspicious start of my
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| walking on the sidewalk in front of the
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| | first romance. Any girl who would shake
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| Auburn Post Office where my Dad worked,
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| | and make up, to say nothing of running
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| when I spotted her coming out of the Post
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| | and throwing right, was worth my
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| Office lobby. She looked so pretty in her
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| | attention. It started out slowly, by a
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| curly, bouncy hair, pink blouse and pedal
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| | quick meeting of our eyes during history
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| pushers, that again I felt the surge of
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| | class, then sending notes back and forth
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| desire coming over me to impress her. I
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| | during social studies, and climaxing in
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| spotted a magnificent Schwinn bicycle
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| | my request to change seats with John
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| parked by the curb; a bike far more
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| | Towers so I could sit next to her. That
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| expensive than I could ever hope to own,
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| | was fine with John, who was tired of
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| and since I was just a few feet from it
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| | passing our notes back and forth by now.
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| at the time, I kind of casually stepped
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| | That was the first time in my entire life
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| over to it and put one hand on the handle
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| | that I had ever knowingly and willingly
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| bars, like I was just resting after a
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| | taken a seat next to a girl, and
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| long ride through the foothills of the
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| | surprisingly, it felt kind of good, in an
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| Sierras. To my great surprise, she DID
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| | embarrassing sort of way.She liked me for
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| notice me, and in fact walked directly
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| | approximately the same reasons, I
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| toward me. When she was no more than a
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| | suspect. I ran fast, threw a baseball
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| foot away from me she asked, "OK, what
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| | like I knew what I was doing, and was
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| are you doing with my bike?"I mumbled
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| | pretty fair at the one-handed set shot.
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| something about being sorry I had
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| | Then too, I was a boy, and it was a
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| mistaken her bike for mine, and she
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| | novelty for a boy to pay that much
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| mumbled something with the word "stupid"
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| | attention to a girl at 11 years of
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| in it, and that was the end of that. She
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| | age.That spring was wonderful. Seeing
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| never did notice me after that, and I
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| | Linda every day at school; overhearing
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| guess it's just as well. I understand she
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| | other girls whisper about us "going
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| went on to become a very successful
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| | together" in the cloakroom; and seeing a
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| waitress in old town Auburn.Now that I've
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| | newfound admiration in the eyes of some
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| been married for more years than I care
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| | of my male friends. I used to lie awake
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| to mention, I've given up the idea of
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| | at night and dream of Linda and I both
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| trying to impress her. Oh, when I'm back
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| | making the Yankees; she at shortstop and
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| in town and drive by the Cozy Spot Cafe
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| | me in centerfield, winking at each other
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| where she works, I'm always tempted to go
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| | between plays. I always out hit her in my
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| in and somehow let her know that the boy
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| | daydreams, probably to make up for the
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| she scorned grew up to be a writer. But
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| | fact that she always out hit me in real
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| about the time I start to pull in, my
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| | 7th grade baseball games. It just didn't
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| mind goes back to my first two attempts
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| | seem right for her to be THAT good. And
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| at impressing her, and I visualize myself
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| | we were tied for stolen bases, too, in my
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| telling her about all the books I have
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| | daydreams, right up to the last game of
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| written, and in my mind, she responds by
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| | the season, when I stole 5 bases in one
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| sarcastically asking if I write about
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| | inning, breaking Ty Cobb's record (of
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| dogs and stolen bikes, and so I change my
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| | course that was long before Maury Wills,
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| mind, and drive on.Of course, I knew lots
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| | Ricky Henderson, etc.) and putting me 1
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| of other girls as I was growing up, and I
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| | ahead of Linda, who only stole 4 bases
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| suppose I had a normal amount of
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| | that same inning.Our 7th grade formal
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| curiosity about them that any young guy
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| | dance was in late May, and Linda looked
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| had. Roy Poindexter, a 5th grader, told a
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| | forward to it excitedly, talking a great
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| bunch of us 4th grade boys that the way
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| | deal about it, and hinting that she would
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| to tell the difference between boys and
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| | dance only with me. I was greatly
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| girls was to tape a small mirror to the
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| | flattered on the one hand, and worried on
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| toe of one shoe, then walk casually up to
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| | the other since I didn't know how to
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| a girl and engage her in conversation,
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| | dance.I needn't have worried, however.A
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| and simply place the foot with the mirror
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| | kid named Chip Bonanno from New Jersey
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| on it between the girl's feet. Then while
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| | moved to Auburn three days before the
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| she was talking, we would simply glance
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| | dance. He was handsome, looked much older
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| down and get a glimpse of whatever was
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| | than the rest of us boys, had big biceps
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| hiding under her skirt.Roy spoke with the
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| | which he showed off in cut-off T-shirts,
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| suave confidence of one who had done it
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| | and spoke with not only a voice which had
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| many times. In retrospect, I remember his
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| | already changed to bass, but also with
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| Mom was a manager of women's
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| | the smooth sophistication of a city boy
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| undergarments at J.C. Penny's, so he
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| | who knew all about cars, girls, and the
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| probably honed his craft by practicing on
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| | ways of the world. Linda and every other
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| the mannequins after hours. Despite his
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| | girl in the 7th grade fell in love with
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| bragging, I have serious reservations as
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| | him instantly, and since Linda was the
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| to whether he ever tried it on a real,
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| | only girl in the 7th grade with a
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| live girl, who would have to be both
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| | boyfriend, she was the one he chose.She
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| blind and stupid to stand still for such
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| | danced every dance with Chip at the
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| an obvious ploy.But Billy Roberts
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| | formal, and as far as I knew, did not
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| believed him, and announced that he was
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| | distinguish me from the furniture. I was
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| going to try it the next day at school.
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| | crushed, of course, and spent most of my
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| Instead of the scenario turning out the
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| | time looking as sad as possible, in hopes
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| way Roy predicted, the moment Billy
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| | that she would notice me and feel sorry
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| walked on the playground Wanda Johannson
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| | for me and leave Chip and come back to
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| spotted the mirror, and yelled at him
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| | me.It didn't work. She never looked.Duane
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| across the basketball court "Hey Billy!
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| | Shinn is the author of the popular free
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| What's that on your shoe?"So that was the
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| | 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled
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| end of that experiment.And with a few
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| | Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords
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| notable exceptions, up until about the
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| | & Sizzling Chord Progressions -
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| 7th grade girls were those "other things"
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| | Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults
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| that we boys had no interest in and no
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