1st Date

Y'all better grab you a bag of popcorn and a root beer or coke, maybe a good old slaw dog cause we are headed to the Iuka Drive-in at dark thirty...where the speakers are on the pole and cartoons plays first. WOOHOO!!! Lets go meet mama and daddy first, cause I wouldn't be going anywhere 'til that took place.

Y'all, I had to do a lot of begging to even go out on a date, I was a few weeks shy of turning 15. Lord, I was ready to get this over with him meeting my parents. Never been on a date before so I called my friend and had to get some advice on how to get in the car. Like do I go around to the passenger side and let him open the door for me or slide in on his side. She said, slide in. I said, I don't think I can do it and she said, I'd better. Now mama had seen Sammy from a distance the weekend before and I pointed him out.... bad mistake.
This is what I had to hear: Surely to goodness you don't wanna date someone that looks like that. I hadn't ever seen such long hair on a boy in all my life. Your daddy won't go for this cause you know he is bound to be selling drugs. I said, no he is not. Mama said, well how would you know. I said, please just let me go out with him and if he is I won't date him any more. Mama said, oh!!! you can bet this is it for him.
My look-outs (Keith and Lisa) announced he was walking down the driveway. Well, you know everyone assumes their position, that would be a straight line, except for me. The whole time I'm introducing him, I got one foot out the door, I'm ready to leave. You know I think my daddy might have helped Rodney Atkins write that song, "CLEANING THIS GUN" cause he had that look on his face when we broke and ran to the car. Just so you know, I slide in.

Ok it's dark thirty.....Shoot, I can't even remember the movie that was playing, I was scared to death. You see I was a hoping and a praying he wouldn't kiss me cause my grandmother had given me some advice.... bad mistake #2. She said, girl do't let that boy kiss you or you will get pregnant. WHAT!!!! Now y'all I knew better but.... did I really wanna chance it? I do remember parking next to another friend of mine and I was all worried cause I couldn't see them in their car. Windows all fogged up!!!!! What on earth was up with that? I told Sammy, I know she is in there but where. I guess I turned my head around to fast and the next thing I know he is going in for the kiss. Lord have mercy, he was a kisser and I wanted to say, Yes, thank you, I'll have another. If this is what its like to get pregnant, SO BE IT! (ha ha!!) I don't think we even watched the movie, I know I didn't, I was shaking to bad. When we did talk he would use big ole words and we didn't have cell phones back then so I couldn't phone a friend to find out what those words meant.
I had to be home by 11:00 or else....

This is our family conversation at dinner the next night:
Mama: what movie did y'all go see?
Me: uh, I can't remember but it was good.
Daddy: did that boy treat you alright?
Me: yep
Mama: was that boy on drugs?
Me: naw, he didn't smell like it. (like I would know)
Daddy: what you doing smelling of him?
Me: seeing if he was on drugs and he smelt real good.
Daddy: what did you think of that date?
Me: well I had a good time but he sure did use a lot of big words that I didn't know what they meant.
Daddy: girl, next time you carry a dictionary with you. I'll get you a small one for your purse.
Keith and Lisa, just a laughing (10 and 8 years old)
Me: shut-up.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for hand pickin' this boy for me cause I don't think I could have taken lookin' any further. He was everything I had hoped for and all I ever needed. Amen.